
Iff- I>IIS'r:^13i:^ jPlrii 



BOUND BY 

C H. LEAMAN 

Book Binder 

HAGERSTOWN, MD. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

Chap. Copyright No. 

SheltvlXfiL 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 




The Church Member 



AND 

MIS VARIOUS RELATIONS AND 
DUTIES TO HIS HOME, HIS 
CHURCH, AND HIS 
STATE 

BY 

Rev. s. h. dietzel, ph. d., 

Pastor of Christ Reformed Church, 
Cavetown, Maryland. 



HAGERSTOWN, MD. 
GLOBE JOB ROOM PRINT. 

igoo. 



51037 



LJbmry of Con^fresB 

p^u Copies Receded 
SEP 24 1900 

SECOND COPY. 

Udtvwdrf to 

OROtS DIVISION, 
OCT 1 I90U 



COPYRIGHT 1900 
BY 

SAMUEL HENRY DIETZEL. 



t> O.o o. 



DEDICATION. 



Without askiug his permission, this 
little volume is most affectionately dedi- 
cated to the Eev. William H. Groh, the 
first Reformed minister of whom I have 
any recollections, and who gave me 
many kind words of advice and en- 
couragement during the period of my 
life when I most needed them. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER. PAGE. 

I. — The Day of Confirmation and What 

Is Now Expected of You 9 

II. — The Christian Sox or Daughter in 

the Home 27 

III. — The Christian Parent, and His Duty 

in the Home 37 

IV. — When Should a" Child Join the 

Church ? and What the Parents' 
Duty Is in Helping the Child to 
Decide , 60 

V. — The Sunday School — What Is It ? 

and Our Duty to It 78 

VI. —Christian Development and Christ- 
ian Work 92 

VII.— Your Minister, and How You Can 

Assist and Encourage Him 103 

VIII. — The Pastor's Visiting IT? 

IX. —The Old Minister and How He 

Should Be Treated 124 

X. — The Nomination and Election of 

Church Officers 135 

XL — Christian Citizenship, or Should a 
Christian Take an Active Inter- 
est in Politics ?. . 143 

XII.— Missions, and Why I Believe in Them 152 

XIII. — The Church Member's Wedding 164 

XIV. — The Evening of Life, Be Kind to 

the Old 173 

XV.— The Christian Funeral 183 



PREFACE. 



Ever since I began my bumble minis- 
try of love, I bave felt tbe need of some 
little book, wbicb might be. placed in tbe 
bands of tbe church membership, which 
might bring home to them the various 
duties and responsibilities resting upon 
them, and thus aid in guiding and leading 
them to that brighter and better home in 
heaven. 

Nothing, it is true, can take the place 
of the Word of God as a guide and rule 
for our faith and practice, yet, in my 
humble judgment, such a book as this 
can, with profit, find a place in a Chris- 
tian's library. 

Some of the subjects I have already 



Vi PREFACE. 

handled in public discourses, others I 
have thought over for a long time, and 
now give them to the reader, with the 
hope and prayer that they may be "seed 
sown on good ground." 

I am conscious of the fact, that much 
remains to be said on each subject, but I 
give the result of my meditations to the 
public with the hope that it may lead 
many to "think on better things." and 
thus bring light and hope and joy into 
darkened hearts and homes. 

I must confess that my ideal has not 
been reached, but if this little book will 
be the means of cheering some faint- 
hearted Christian traveler, thus enabling 
him to keep on in the true way; if it will 
help some parents to reach a higher con- 
ception of the sacred responsibility which 
is theirs; if it will enlighten some hearts; 
if it will make the arduous labors of my 
brethren in the ministry less burdensome 



PREFACE. 



vii 



and more fruitful, then I will feel myself 
amply repaid for all the thought and 
prayers I have given to the several sub 
jects. With this hope I launch it forth 
on the sea of life, and may God's bless- 
ing go with it. S. H. D., 
March 20, 1900. Cavetown, Md. 



OHAPTEE I. 



THE DAY OF CONFIRMATION AND WHAT IS 
NOW EXPECTED OF YOU. 

This is a solemn, a sacred clay, and if 
you will be faithful to the vows you now 
have taken, the course, which you now 
have begun, will bring you a happy and 
peaceful life, growing more Christlike day 
by day, until, at last, when this weary life is 
ended, heaven will be your home for 
evermore. 

There are, indeed, few if any scenes on 
earth more beautiful and impressive than a 
Class of young men and women surround- 
ing the Altar, taking the confirmation 
vows, renouncing the world, the flesh and 
the devil, and promising to follow Jesus 
Christ all the days of their life. It is a 



10 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

public confession before the world that 
they have turned away from the vain 
things of this life, with its empty bub- 
bles, and have now resolved, henceforth, 
to live in and for Christ, God being their 
helper. 

Whether or not you could be saved out- 
side of the Church of Christ, I do not pro- 
pose to discuss here. Let it be sufficient 
to know that Jesus thought it necessary 
to leave His throne in heaven and come 
down among us men to establish a 
Church, unto Himself, unto which He gave 
a mission and a work to do, and that 
"tlwy added daily such to the Church as 
should he saved" God has made the Church 
an instrument, in His hands, for the dis- 
semination of Christian knowlege, with 
the purpose in view of developing Chris- 
tian character. It is a divine-human in- 
stitution permeated by the Spirit of 
Jesus, its Founder, and the duty of the 



THE DAY OF CONFIRMATION. 11 

Church is: to bring moral order out of 
chaos, to overcome evil with good, dark- 
ness with light and error by truth. 

It is a divine-human institution estab- 
lished and perpetuated for our benefit; 
but it only gives us the means of grace 
and the helps and guidance necessary for 
our salvation which God for Christ's sake 
grants us, not by merit, but by grace 
through faith are we saved. 

You join the Church then, in a manner; 
as you would join a school — for the pur- 
pose of receiving help and instruction; 
and as the school exists for the pupils, so 
does the Church exist for its members. 
It is only a help to our salvation. If we 
wish to learn we must do our part — must 
study — else the best schools in the land 
cannot give us an education. So you 
and I must do our part and use, or appro- 
priate, the means of grace, else we can 
not be saved in the Church. 



12 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

You become a member or pupil of a 
certain school, not because you know all 
that is taught there, but because you wish 
to learn what is taught there. In like 
manner you join the Church of Christ, you 
become a member, not because you are 
good, bat because you have resolved to do 
good, and want all the helps that the Church 
can give you. because you wish to be 
obedient to the divine command. And 
here it is you find men and women of 
congenial spirits, encouraging and cheer- 
ing and helping you to live a better and 
nobler life. 4, They that are whole need 
no physician." 

And remember this fact, my reader; 
that the Church of Christ does not need 
you half so much as you need the sancti- 
fying influence that pervades the sanc- 
tuary. The Church will stand and 
flourish whether or not you come within 
her sacred portals: she is founded on the 



THE DAY OF CONFIRMATION. 13 

Eock, Jesus Christ, and the "gates of hell 
shall not prevail against her." But it is 
a sacred duty, which you owe to yourself, 
to unite with some Church and give your 
aid and influence for good. God has 
made you for something worthy, and, if 
you are unfaithful to your trust, you are 
unfaithful to yourself. But, I assume 
that you are a member of the Church of 
Christ. What now has the Church and 
the world a right to expect of you? It 
goes without argument, that faithfulness 
is one of the necessary essentials to suc- 
cess in any undertaking, and so, my dear 
friend, if you do not hope to make ship- 
wreck of your faith, I enjoin faithfulness 
upon you in your Church relations by all 
means. 

If you are unfaithful in your school 
life, if you neglect to prepare your les- 
sons properly, if you try to pass by unfair 
means, be assured you will wrong no one 



14 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

so much as yourself. You will be the 
loser iu the end. You do yourself more 
harm than any other person. The same 
holds good in your relation with the 
Church. By your unfaithfulness, you 
may bring discredit upon the Church in 
the eyes of the world. But there are 
many, who are true and faithful, who will 
substantiate the high claims of the 
Church, and you alone will be the sufferer 
in the end. 

Not all who attend school become ed- 
ucated, and not ail who join the Church 
will be saved, 

Connecting with the Church is only 
the beginning. Many more things must 
necessarily follow. Not all the grafts 
that are placed upon a tree will grow; 
unless they receive the life blood — the 
sap — of the tree they wither and die. So 
those who are engrafted into the Church 
of Christ will grow only when they ap- 



THE DAY OF CONFIRMATION. 15 

propiate to themselves the grace offered 
by her means. 

What, then, is necessary that you may 
live a true Christian life ? You have now 
made a profession — a beginning. You 
will find sore trials and severe tempta- 
tions before you. However, if, by the 
help and grace of God, you set your face 
like a flint toward the heavenly home 
"looking unto Jesus, the Author and 
Finisher of our faith," from Whom cometh 
our help, you will come off more than 
conqueror. "Pray to the Father in secret 
and He shall reward thee openly." Do 
not forget to pray; for prayer is one of 
the essential weapons in Christian war- 
fare. When our blessed Lord and Savior 
found it necessary to spend whole nights 
in prayer; and also taught His disciples 
that "whatsoever ye ask the Father in 
My name it shall be given unto you," 
and when holy men of all ages were 



16 THE CHURCH MEMBER, 

moved to resort to prayer as is indicated 
by the Psalms; Jacob wrestling in 
prayer, St. Paul ceasing not to pray both 
night and day for his spiritual children, 
much more is it necessary for us, poor 
Christians, to pray for strength, for guid- 
ance, and for wisdom, saying: ''keep 
thou mv wav, O Lord !" 

We see the saints of God mighty in 
prayer. Monica prays for years until her 
petitions were answered. So must we 
not fail to pray unceasingly, for it is 
promised, "ask and ye shall receive, 
seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall 
be opened unto you," and "the prayer of 
the righteous man availeth much." 
Then, my dear friend, do not neglect to 
ask the Father to lead and guide you, for, 
though the way may be dark now, in due 
time He will bring you into the clear sun- 
light of His plans and purposes. 

God will do His part, but do not forget 



THE DAY OF CONFIRMATION. 17 

that you also have an important part to 
perform in ''working out your own salva- 
tion." "God only helps those who help 
themselves." You must, then, not only 
make your own wants and needs known, 
but you must also do all you can to 
better your condition and as far as possi- 
ble avoid temptations. 

Thus, my dear young reader, you see, 
there are duties and responsibilities 
which are obligatory upon you. If you 
want to live a Christian life— a Christ life 
— then you must do your part. Your 
former associates may yet be out in the 
world loving the vain and empty, as well 
as questionable pleasures of life more 
than the joys of the Christian, and, if such 
be the case, then you must abandon the 
old haunts and associates. You mast 
turn away from them, for you can never 
hope to reform your life unless you quit 
ungodly associates and questionable 



18 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

pleasures; you "can not serve two 
masters;" you must either serve God or 
Mammon, no middle ground is possible. 

You must leave off the pleasures of sin. 
This may require a severe struggle, but it 
must be done to assure your sincerity and 
security. You must take a firm stand on 
the Eock, Jesus Christ. Follow Christ, He 
is the highest possible Model of true man- 
hood. Eead God's Word, and it "will make 
you wise unto salvation." Thus only can 
you become an intelligent Bible Chris- 
tian, and by and by you will become so 
permeated and filled with Christ thought 
that you will unconsciously follow Jesus, 
and then it will be easier to do right 
than wrong. 

But you must also show your love to 
God and His cause by attending and 
taking part in all the services in the 
sanctuary, if possible. These services 
are for your benefit. The minister 



THE DAY OF CONFIRMATION. 19 

selects his themes with the end in view of 
instructing, inspiring, comforting and 
helping you. And you should allow 
nothing, unless it be sickness or death, to 
detain you at home, and thus cause you 
to miss the services which are for your 
soul's welfare. It is so easy to form 
careless or indifferent habits that we 
should guard against it. One service 
missed makes it easier to miss another 
and thus you become a "stay at home" 
before you are aware. There are many 
families with whom the question "who 
will go to Church today?" is never asked, 
for it is understood that all will go; with 
them it has become the rule of life to go 
up to the house of the Lord regularly. 
They would no more think of allowing 
the day to pass by without attending 
divine services than to do without eating. 
Let it be the rule of your life to be 
present in rain or shine, in heat or cold 



20 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

and you will receive blessings for the day 
of need. 

Attend and take part in all the 
services; be a ivJiole-hearted Christian. 
Give your aid and influence for good 
wherever and whenever you can, for, re- 
member, you learn by doing and you 
grow and gather strength by exercising 
your powers. 

There may be times when matters are 
not as pleasant as you may wish to see 
them, but keep on faithfully, hear with 
the infirmities of others; remember, you 
too may be in error. Do all you can 
for the good of your fellowmen and for 
the glory of God. 

And whatever else you do, do not be a 
fault-finder. They are the bane to any 
cause. The growlers are never workers 
and the workers have no time to be 
growlers. They see the failures and 
short comings in others, and seldom, if 



THE DAY OF CONFIRMATION. 21 

ever, do anything worthy. The\ only 
make things unpleasant. They are the 
friction in the machinery, They trouble 
the smoothe waters. They see the mote 
in a brother's eye but not the beam in 
their own. These "are spots in your 
feasts of charity * * * Clouds they 
are without water carried about of winds, 
trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, 
twice dead, plucked up by the roots/' 

My friends, if you have nothing good 
to say, seal your lips, for the minister 
and officers have all the cares they well 
can bear without hearing of your griev- 
ances, isever let your conduct be unbe- 
coming. Nothing is ever gained by 
being revengeful. It has been the exper- 
ience of pastors almost universally, that 
the fault-finders are not the pillars of the 
Church. They are the weak timbers 
which make the building insecure. They 
cool the religious fervor, and cause un- 



22 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

pleasantries and sadness. Our prayer is: 
From all such "good Lord, deliver us." 

Again, should members of the church 
have grieviances, do not allow these 
petty little differences to interfere with 
your church. If you and your neighbor, 
after coming together and praying God 
to enlighten you, can not agree, then the 
minister and his officers can not serve as 
arbiters, either. But first of all, I en- 
join upon you St. Paul's advice: "As far 
as possible live peaceably with all men." 

Ever since the little band of Christians, 
on the day of Pentacost, were organized 
into a church there have been two kinds 
of members: — those who help and those 
who hinder, those who bring sunshine 
and those who bring clouds, those who 
warm and those who chill, and you, my 
reader, belong to one of these classes. 

God wants you to be a helper, He has 
placed you here, in this land of Gospel 



THE DAY OF CONFIRMATION. 23 

light, and we have a right to expect you 
"to walk as children of light." 

Yon have too much honor or self-re- 
spect to be a "dead-head heating your way"' 
to heaven; you desire to travel respect- 
ably; then be a sincere and conscientious 
pilgrim traveling to the heavenly Jerusa- 
lem. Bring honor to your church. Con- 
tribute according to your abilitv for her 
support. You should have too much 
pride to leave others pay the bills while 
you receive the benefits of the church. 
It is morally wrong. It is unjust to the 
other members for you to contribute 
nothing toward her suppoit while you 
squander, every year, many times more 
for the luxuries and unnecessaries of life. 

If you are rich or poor, your honor and 
pride should compel you to give accord- 
ing to your ability. As a rule the greater 
part of the contributions come from the 
relatively poor. It is they who keep the 



24 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

wheels of the Gospel Chariot oiled; others 
who come arrayed in purpte and fine 
linen, driving a span in a fancy carriage, 
contribute less than some poor washer- 
women. But, thank God, there are but 
few guilty of such base conduct. 

And, now, what shall we say, in reply, 
to those outsiders who claim they "are as 
good as some in he tchurch?" Their 
comparisons are always unjust. They 
compare the worst in the church with the 
best outside; we frankly admit, to the 
truth, that there may be some outside of 
the church as good, in conduct, as some 
who are in the church — there are some 
who are good by nature, it comes natural 
to them and requires no effort, but this 
does not establish anything against the 
church as an institution for good. If 
some members of the church are not 
what they ought to be, they might still be 
worse if they were away from the sancti- 



THE DAY OF CONFIRMATION. 25 

lying influence of the church. The 
church has a restraining and elevating in- 
fluence on every one of her members, and 
there are few persons that are not to 
some extent, morally and spiritually ben- 
efited by their union with church. The 
tendency of the church is not to make 
her members bad but good, and. if the 
good who are outside would enter they 
would be made still better. But, remem- 
ber this, the church is not for the perfect, 
but it, primarily, exists for the purpose 
of developing a larger and truer life. It 
enables men to prepare for heavenly citi- 
zenship — and as some schools, however 
good their curriculum may be, fail in 
making scholars of some who register, so 
the Church of God can not help the man 
who will not help himself. 

But who made you a judge of your 
fellowmen? Can you see into the heart 
and read the hidden motives? Are you 



26 



THE CHURCH MEMBER. 



omniscient that you can sit in judgment 
on the members of the church? The 
church through her influence has done 
more good for the world than all other 
forces combined; in fact, she is the 
mother and pioneer of all benefits and 
blessings we enjoy today. Her influence 
is felt in every department of life and 
you have free speech because the ''truth 
has made you free." 

"Think gently of the erring one! 

And let us not forget, 
However darkly stained by sin. 

He is our brother yet. 

Heir of the same inheritance, 

Child of the self-same God; 
He hath but stumbled in the path 

We have in weakness trod." 



CHAPTER II. 



THE CHRISTIAN SOX OR DAUGHTER IX THE 
HOME. 

My kind reader, if you are still in the 
home of your childhood and youth enjoy- 
ing the love and care of a fond mother 
and the protection and counsel of a wise 
father, you are certainly a fortunate child. 
You still haye the comforts and privileges 
of home which you can find nowhere else 
once the old home is broken up, and now, 
remember, too, that these comforts and 
privileges, of home, which you are enjoy- 
ing bear with them grave responsibilities 
and sacred duties. Your rights are based 
on your duties and responsibilities. It is 
because you and I have obligations which 
we owe to our God and to our fellowmen 



28 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

from which no one can release us, that we 
have rights and privileges from w r hich no 
man shall rob as. 

Yoa are a member of your household, 
and all the blessings and privileges which 
you now enjoy have come to you through 
the wise management and weary toil of 
your parents, and those before them. You 
have been, to them, a source of care and 
anxiety. Many were the sleepless nights 
they spent watching over and caring for 
you during that critical period of your 
life — childhood. Their own comforts were 
disregarded for your sake. Their whole 
life has been spent for you, and if they 
are Christian parents, by the help of God, 
they did their best to bring you up in the 
fear and love of God, so that you might 
become a noble man or woman who would 
be a blessing in the home and a benefit to 
society, and the Church. Now it is with 
you. Will you be true and noble, and thus 



IN THE HOME. 29 

bring joy and gladness to their hearts in 
okl age or will you turn away from their 
counsel and be wicked, thus bringing 
premature gray hairs down to an early 
grave ? 

In the providence of God, children were 
intended to be a blessing to parents, but, 
at times, that which is intended for a bless- 
ing becomes a curse. 

We witness the closing scene of Rachel's 
life. Her life is ebbing away in giving 
birth to her last child. She knew she 
must die, and with her last gasping breath 
says: We will call him Benoni which is 
''son of my sorrow," but, after her death, 
Jacob, who loved his Eachel dearly, 
thought that, in a manner, the child would 
make up for the loss — it would be to him 
a comfort, companion and thus, in a de- 
gree, at least compensate for the great 
loss of the mother — and so he named the 
babe, Benjamin, which is "son of consola- 



30 THE CHURCH MEMBER 

tion." Thus every child is, to his 
parents, either a Benoni or a Benjamin ; 
either a "son of sorrow," or a "son of con- 
solation. " Which, by God's help, my 
young reader, will you be? 

In the mysterious law of life, the link 
that unites God and the child is the 
parents. It has pleased God to place 
them over us and all we have and all we 
are now we owe to them. 

The great Lincoln only expressed the 
sentiment of all true and worthy children 
when he said: "All I am or hope to be I 
owe to my angel mother ; blessings on 
her memory. I remember her prayers, 
thev have always followed me, they have 
clung to me all my life." 

Most of the joy comes to fond parents 
in seeing and hearing of a child's noble 
conduct in life, and so, on the other hand, 
the greatest sorrow is to see a child go 
down the broad way that leads to certain 
ruin. 



IN THE HOME. 



31 



Every parent builds great hopes upon 
his child, and truly: "A wise son maketh 
a glad father but a foolish son is the heavi- 
ness of his mother." Bat why multiply 
quotations from the Word of God which 
is so rich and full of advice and admoni- 
tion on the subject ? It is a self-evident 
fact that a parent is either honored or dis- 
honored by the child. 

We have the sad and untimely end of 
Absalom — a promising young man who 
had all the privileges aud opportunities 
of becoming a worthy son of a great 
father. His father, David, had built 
great hopes on him, but Absalom did not 
appreciate the privileges that were his. 
He became dissatisfied, and wickedly 
turned against his father and benefactor, 
which ended in the death" of the rebellious 
son. 

The parable of the Prodigal son leaving 
a good home, and a kind, loving father, 



32 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

with all the comfort and conveniences, 
going out into the world and at last re- 
duced to beggary, causing an aged parent 
sorrow and anguish untold, illustrates the 
conduct of many a child who does not 
realize the blessings of a good home until 
deprived of it. 

Oh think of it, my young readers; think 
of what a debt of gratitude you owe to 
your father and mother ! Think of their 
prayers and tears in your behalf and on 
account of your ungrateful conduct ; and 
be true and honorable, as God meant you 
should be. Be kind and considerate for 
their welfare. Remember our Savior's 
conduct toward his weeping mother at the 
foot of the cross. Make your religion a 
practical thing ! Tour home should be 
better and happier, your walk and con- 
versation more heavenly, and your parents 
more joyful because of your religion. 

Be true to your home life. Never let 



IN THE HOME. 33 

your conduct be the cause of sorrow to 
your fond parents. 

"The old man eloquent," John Quincy 
Adams, said: "If I had no other induce- 
ment to live a true life, I would do so be- 
cause of the joy it brings to my loving 
parents who spent their best days for 
me." What a noble son of noble 
parents ! If every child in the land 
would entertain such lofty . sentiments, 
we would, indeed, And few, if any, 
broken-hearted parents. 

Yes, you may have had superior advan- 
tages for education ; you may outclass 
your parents far in book learning, but 
remember, there are many, very many 
things which you can only learn as they 
learned them — by experience — and you 
will find when you reach their age that 
your opinions will also be greatly modi- 
fied, because they have become matured 
with age and experience. 



34 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

All great and good men have been obe- 
dient and dutiful sons in their home life. 
There they learned those lessons of in- 
dustry, obedience, respect for others, in 
fact, all that goes to make a true and use- 
ful life. 

Honor your parents, my young friends. 
Eemember no one ever gets beyond honor- 
ing those who were to us a blessing. 
u The father of our country " — Washing- 
ton — after the surrender of Cornwallis at 
Yorktown, when the war for Independ- 
ence was over, returned to his beloved Mt. 
Vernon home. A large assemblage of his 
friends and countrymen had gathered at 
his old homestead awaiting his arrival. 
They waited long. Morning passed into 
midday and midday was drawing toward 
eventide, when amid deafening cheers we 
see him appear, but, he pays no attention 
to those about, he presses through the 
crowd to where his aged mother was 



IN THE HOME. 35 

seated. He must first pay his respects to 
her. On being congratulated on her great 
son, the mother simply replied : "Yes, 
George always was an obedient child. " 

Oh, be an honor to your parents. God 
meant you should be a joy to them in their 
declining days. Regard and respect them 
for what they have done. Be a Benjamin, 
a "son of consolation," for "the father of 
the righteous shall greatly rejoice, and he 
that begetteth a wise child shall have joy 
in him." 

Remember, you will not always have 
your home as it is now. The time will come 
when, one by one, they must go, and if 
you now do your part faithfully in the 
home, you will have no cause tor regret in 
after years when it is broken up. 

May God be with you. May the spirit 
lead you so that your home may be better 
for your religion is our prayer. 



36 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

"Do they miss me at home? Do they miss me 

'T would be an assurance most dear, 
To know at this moment some loved one 

Was saying, 'I wish he was here.' 
To feel that the group at the fireside 

Were thinking of me as 1 roam! 
Oh, yes! 'twould be joy beyond measure, 

To know that they missed me at home." 



CHAPTER III. 



THE CHRISTIAN PARENT AND HIS DUTY IN 
THE HOME. 

We assume that we are writing to 
Christian parents who are teaching their 
children, both by precept and example, to 
become God-feariijg men and women. 

To become a parent is to assume the 
sacred and responsible task of the bring- 
ing up and training of an immortal 
being, for time and for eternity, for 
which God holds you responsible. W e 
take it for granted that every thoughtful 
and considerate parent loves to see his 
children grow up to useful manhood or 
true womanhood, and hence, they go be- 
fore them and set an example worthy of 
emulation. One of the saddest expres- 



38 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

sions I ever heard — one which would cut 
the heart of any father to the quick — was 
uttered by a young man who with tears 
in his eyes said: "My father never gave 
me one single example worthy of imita- 
tion." Oh, fathers, let this never be said of 
you. Let not your sins rest upon pos- 
terity's head. 

When a child comes to your home, it 
comes with these solemn words from your 
Heavenly Father: "Take this child and 
nurse it for me and I will pay thee thy 
wages." "Take this child and nurse it," 
that is, educate and bring it up in the way 
of true manhood or womanhood for me, 
that is for the Lord, and I, the Lord, will 
pay thee thy wages. These wages, or re- 
ward for faithfulness, come to you, par- 
ents, when you see your child do noble in 
life, for the parent is honored through and 
by the child. You are proud of a worthy 
son or daughter — you have a right to be— 



DUTY OF PARENT. 39 

they bring joy to your soul. This is the 
wages you receive for doing your duty by 
them. Ketnember, parents, no matter 
how brilliant an intellect your child may 
have, it must be fostered, developed and 
trained aright, else that which was in- 
tended as a blessing becomes a curse. 
No matter how religiously inclined your 
child may be, he needs a parent's example 
and encouragement. Bear in mind that 
the influence of home training is second 
to none other. All other forces combined 
cannot atone for neglected childhood in 
the homes of our land. The causes of 
crime are legion, but none weighs so heav- 
ily as neglected childhood. 

The early impressions can never be 
eradicated. During the first seven or 
eight years of a child's life, the training 
has a greater power to mold the life and 
character, for weal or for woe, than the 
training of all subsequent time. Who of 



40 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

us does not remember the friends, the 
home, and the incidents of the sunny days 
of childhood more clearly than any since "? 
"Scratch the green rind of a young tree 
and it will leave an ugly scar forever." 
So is it with the first impressions on the 
young and tender mind of childhood. 

The beautiful story of Cornelia is highly 
expressive. A haughty noblewoman dis- 
played her own jewels and when done 
asked Cornelia: "And where are your 
jewels V 5 Cornelia, taking her into the ad- 
joining room where lay sleeping her two 
baby boys, and pointing to them answered: 
'•These are my jewels." So, my parents, 
every child, as it comes to your home, is a 
jewel in the rough, and God meant that 
you should, by wise care and training, re- 
move the rough edges and polish the dia- 
mond. 

Little do we know what future great 
man in the form of a helpless infant lies 



DUTY OF PARENT. 41 

in that old cradle of that humble rustic 
home. Little did Luther's mother dream 
as she fondled her boy, Martin, in that 
humble home of Eisleben, that she was 
bringing up a son whose stand for right 
and enslaved truth could not be put down 
by all the power of Pope Leo X. 

Little did the mother of Zwingii think 
as she rocked her infant Ulrick beneath 
the snow-capped peaks in that Alpine 
village home that her boy would become 
the man who had the moral courage to 
oppose the Pope and take a stand in de- 
fense of liberty and justice and right. 

Little did the mother of Henry imagine 
that her son Patrick, whom she fondled in 
the wilds of that Virginia home, would 
some day sound the tocsin of war which 
meant the liberation of the American col- 
onies from the oppressive yoke of King 
George III. of England. 

The early training of Moses could not 



42 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

be eradicated by all the education that 
the Egyptian court school could give, and 
u he refused to be called the son of Pbar- 
oah's daughter, choosing rather to suffer 
affliction with the people of God than to 
enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season." 

The Jesuit spoke wisely when he said : 
"Let me have the training of your child 
the first seven years of its life, and I do 
not care who will have it after that. It 
will be a Roman Catholic in reality if not 
in name." 

John Quincy Adams, as well as Presi- 
dent Not*, of Columbia College, both 
great and good men and intellectual 
giants of the first order, when old and 
feeble and merging into second childhood, 
would always repeat, on retiring, the little 
child prayer which their good mothers had 
taught their infant lips to prattle at the 
first dawning of the intellect. Eemember 
then, parents, to begin early in the devel- 



DUTY OF PARENT. 43 

opment of the moral character of your 
child, and you will impress those lessons 
of piety and reverence which will be with 
them to the going down of life. The 
finest legacy you can leave your child is 
not bonds or houses or farms, but a good 
moral character, grounded in Jesus Christ, 
which will go with them beyond the 
grave. 

Your child has higher wants and needs 
than those of the body. It is composed 
of body, soul, and spirit, and each of these 
appeals to you for help and care. 

Your child is a social being and it needs 
companionship. It needs encouragement. 
It needs confidentials, and, parents, will 
you be your child's confidentials or will 
you ignore this craving in the child nature? 
Then be assured as it grows up it will 
make a confident of some companion out- 
side of the family circle, which too often 
leads to ruin. 



44 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

What a young man, growing up, needs 
more than anything else is a father's con- 
fidence and encouragment, and if parents 
have the true confidence of their children 
so that with frankness they will tell them 
all that is said and done, it will be one of 
the strongest safeguards about them. 

The girl who makes a confident of her 
mother need never fear the advice she re- 
ceives, for no one can be more unselfishly 
interested in her welfare than is mother. 

One of the crying needs of our day is, 
closer intimacy and more implicit confi- 
dence between mothers and daughters, 
between fathers and sons. If the mother 
would make a close confident of her 
daughter from childhood, she would be 
placing about her the strongest safeguard 
against the viper who cares not what 
family he ruins nor what disgrace he 
brings upon pure womanhood. There 
are many, yea only too many, mothers 



DUTY OF PARENT. 45 

who spend any amount of money for the 
education of their daughters. They send 
them away to the best schools in the land. 
They ha ve them educated in all the higher 
branches. They can sing and paint. 
They can quote French and Latin. They 
can recite whole plays of Shakespeare. 
They can sew and cook by rule, but these 
mothers have failed to make confidential 
of their daughters. They have been "en- 
cumbered with many things" and thus 
"neglect that better part." In short, they 
have failed to impress, upon their minds 
and hearts and lives, the great and funda- 
mental principles of true womanhood, 
, and, consequently, as we too often see, 
they become easy victims to the snares of 
the oily-tongued flatterer whose sin- 
steeped soul is coated over by fine, gen- 
teel manners and smooth, persuasive lan- 
guage. Kemember this, parents, your 
children must have confidential in this 



46 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

life — and they will have them — and one of 
the rules of human life is, that those in 
whom we place confidence will have an in- 
fluence over us. Therefore, the great and 
momentous question is: Who are your 
children's confidentials? In other words, 
who is going to rule over them and in- 
fluence their conduct? Your children 
must have confidence, sympathy, and in- 
struction and have you, parents, proven 
yourself worthy of their confidence and 
respect? Have your actions been so as 
to make them realize that you are their 
most intimate friend and their most de- 
voted sympathizer? You say: "I live 
for my child." Yes, I doubt it not in the 
least, but perhaps, because of lack of 
forethought or by being absorbed wholly 
in looking after their temporal wants, you 
may not have any time left to devote to 
their nobler impulses and your children 
who need sympathy and encouragement 



DUTY OF PARENT. 47 

become estranged more and more from 
father and mother as the years roll by 
and the gulf between parental confidence 
and child confidence grows wider and 
wider and in time they are more timid in 
telling their secrets to you than to any 
one else. 

Oh, parents, I raise the voice of warn- 
ing. It is your duty to gain and hold the 
confidence of your boy and of your girl 
in such a way that they will feel free in 
telling you all their secrets, and, w 7 hen so, 
you will find that you have placed about 
them a mighty bulwark of safety. Show 
them that you are worthy of their confi- 
dence. Make your home an experience 
meeting, and you will have ideal sons 
and daughters, and your home will be- 
come, to them and you, the dearest place 
in all the world. The ideal home is 
where father, mother, and children are 
all confident ials; where the interest of one 



48 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

is the interest of all the others; where one 
member of the family receives inspiration 
and encouragement and sympathy and 
love from all the rest; where all have confi- 
dence in, and love and respect for each 
other, so that they with freedom tell one 
another what they say and do in life; 
and, where Jesus is the Elder Brother 
whom they ask daily for wisdom and 
counsel to direct their doings and say- 
ings. When parents have such a home 
they can rest assured their children are 
not likely to go astray and they need 
never blush on account of the conduct of 
sons or daughters. 

Then, parents, do not spend all your 
time and energy in accumulating worldly 
goods. In short, do not worship Mam- 
mon, and neglect childhood, lest you will 
have cause to regret it. 

What we want and need, for the 
hastening of the Millennium, is more 



DUTY OF PARENT. 49 

consecrated homes that will send forth 
into the world consecrated Christian men 
and women. 

The family is the foundation upon 
which society, the church, and the nation 
rests. The family government is the 
center from which all other forms of gov- 
ernment radiate — noble families make a 
noble nation. If the home government 
of any land could be ideal, then as a 
natural sequence our state and national 
government would be ideal likewise. 

From our homes of today will come 
the men and women of tomorrow, in 
whose hands will be the care and perpet- 
uation of our free institutions, and how 
well they will perform their duties 
then depends on how well the parents do 
their part in the homes now. 

How wise as well as witty was the re- 
ply of the old scholar and poet, John Tre- 
bonius, Luther's old teacher, who being 



50 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

asked why lie always took off his cap and 
made a bow to his pupils on entering his 
school room, replied : "I make my bow 
to the great men of the next generation 
who sit before me, in jackets, on those 
rustic benches." Just so, my friends, 
with the great men of the next genera- 
tion who are now receiving or failing to 
receive the proper training in our homes 
and in our schools — secular as well as 
Sunday — through which they come up to 
the world and Church of Christ. It needs 
no prophet's eye to see that the destiny 
of the Church of Christ and of our nation 
depends on the proper training of the 
American youth. 

That "the boy is father of the man" is 
amply illustrated in modern biography, 
but withal, under the providence of God, 
every child needs the guidance and direc- 
tion and prayers of wise Christian parents. 

It is always an advantage to be de- 



DUTY OF PARENT. 51 

seen (led from pious parents. To have en- 
joyed the guidance and example of a 
Christian father and the love and prayers 
of a Christian mother is the greatest bless- 
ing which we could wish to any child. 
To be brought up in a home pervaded by 
a godly atmosphere is a blessing which 
only those who know can appreciate. 

In so many of our families the father 
himself is not a member of the church, 
and in many cases he is indifferent, yea 
worse than indifferent. The mother of 
that family may be a godly woman and do 
all she can, but when she does not have 
the husband and father's influence she 
finds her burden a heavy one, but by 
God's help she shall succeed, for "our 
labor in the Lord is not in vain," and as 
good is more powerful than evil, as light 
is more powerful than darkness, and as 
God is more mighty than the evil one, 
so the good influence of a Christian 



52 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

mother will olten triumph over the bad 
example of a father. The blessings com- 
ing from a good Christian mother can 
never be over-estimated. Monica, the 
pious mother of St, Augustine, prayed 
earnestly for years that her son might not 
follow his father's footsteps, and, at last, 
her prayer was answered and her son won 
to Christ and Christianity, and he became 
one of the defenders of the faith and one of 
the most celebrated church fathers. Some 
one has said : u As a rule where there is 
a Monica in the home there will be a St. 
Augustine in the cradle, and where there 
is a Eunice teaching the child the Script- 
ures, there will be a Timothy to teach the 
Gospel to the rest of mankind." 

The most illustrious statesmen, the 
most distinguished w 7 arriors, the most elo- 
quent ministers, and the greatest benefac- 
tors of mankind owe their greatness to 
the fostering influence of good homes. 



DUTY OF PAKEKTv' 53 

The family lays the foundation of 
church membership. If every child in 
the land had the training of a godly 
mother and pious grandmother like 
Timothy, who at his mother's knee 
learned those beautiful Bible stories 
which "made him wise unto salvation," 
we would have more consecrated men in 
the Church of Christ. That home train- 
ing was not a matter lor the future with 
his mother, it was not left until he would 
reach the years of discretion, it was not 
deferred until he could enter the syna- 
gogue and learn it from others, but so 
well and so thoroughly was it done by 
Eunice and Lois and so far-reaching was 
its influence that Paul considers it worthy 
of a place in his farewell epistle — his 
second Epistle to Timothy. 

No, my dear readers, there is nothing 
that can atone for neglected home train- 
ing. It is either an efficient agent of God 



54 THE CHUKCH MEMBER. 

for the salvation of souls or a powerful 
emissary of Satan for the destruction of 
character. 

Lord Shaftsbury said: "Give me a gen- 
eration of mothers like Sarah, Hannah, 
Lois, Eunice, Monica, and Cornelia, and 
a host of others less known, and I will 
undertake to change the whole world in 
a few years." What we need, then, are 
more consecrated homes in which child- 
hood is dedicated to and educated in the 
love and faith of the God of Hannoh, 
Lois, Eunice, and Monica. 

It is, indeed, sad to think that in so 
many Christian homes the family altar is 
broken down, and those beautiful Bible 
stories which we learned at our mother's 
knee are too often replaced by transient 
literature — we are living in an age of 
light literature and it is producing a light 
people. The people need St. Paul's ad- 
vice, today more than ever, about "hav- 



ing ears itching after new tilings," and in 
the name of God, and for the permanence 
and stability of society, we raise the voice 
of warning to parents, today. Oh. neglect 
not the old family Bible— the Book of 
your fathers and mothers which will 
make your children "wise unto salva- 
tion." During those long winter even-, 
ings gather your family about you. and 
tell them those beautiful Bible stories 
which they will never forget so long as 
memory retains and discharges its happy 
function. Think, what can be more in- 
teresting to your child, if you wish only 
to entertain, but withal what can be more 
profitable for the life to come than the 
beautiful and touching story of Joseph 
with his coat of many colors : his treat- 
ment by his brethren : his ruling during 
the famine, and his generous forgiveness 
and reconciliation, at last, with his breth- 
ren. The story of Cain and Abel ; of the 



56 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

child Samuel ; of the shepherd boy David ; 
of Isaac and Rebecca ; of Ishmael and 
Hagar : of Esther and Mordacai : of 
Jonah ; of Ruth and Naomi ; of Job and 
his trials ; of the three Hebrew boys in 
the furnace ; of Daniel in tfie lion's den 
— yea, of the many beautiful and edifying 
stories in the Old Testament, and then 
the New so full of God's love in the gift 
of His Son, our Savior ; of Simeon and 
Anna; of the family at Bethany; yea, of 
all the facts and incidents associated 
with Jesus from the lowly manger cradle 
to the rock-ribbed tomb of Joseph of 
Arimathea, and then the thrilling life of 
Paul, and the other Apostles, on down to 
the Beatific Vision of John on the rocky 
and storm-beaten Isle of Patmos. You 
can rest assured if you impress those 
beautiful lessons of God's goodness, love 
and mercy upon the mind of your child, 
in early life ; the Bible will become, to 
him, a blessed inheritance. 



DUTY OF PARENT. 57 

Then in the interest of his eternal soul, 
I plead with you, parents, awaken in the 
mind of your child a hungering and 
thirsting after righteousness, and "when 
he is old he will not depart from it." 

Begard the spiritual training of your 
child not lightly or the voice of neglected 
childhood, like Abel's blood, "will cry out 
against you from the ground." Use the 
old family Bible more as a Book which is 
to make you and yours "wise unto salva- 
tion." Let not the dust of ages gather 
upon its precious lids ; use it for some- 
thing more than a mere ornament on 
your center table. It is the message of 
the Father from heaven. It is the light 
which will dispell the darkness and gloom 
of sin, and it will bring you joy and 
peace as you near the evening of life. 
It is suitable for the palace of the rich 
and for the hovel of the poor. It en- 
lightens us that we may live aright here 



58 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

and it gives us hope when these earthly 
scenes shall change by the promise of a 
home with loved ones "lost awhile," but 
then no more tears and separation. It is 
the guardian of childhood, the champion 
of woman's rights, the comfoit of the sick, 
and the consolation of the dying. Oh, 
use this precious Book and teach your 
child to honor and respect its precious 
precepts. In short, let it be, to you and 
yours, a guide to the home prepared for 
the saints beyond. Give your child 
something which will soothe his sorrows, 
calm his fears, strengthen his faith, and 
inspire his hope — something which will 
throw around the grave of loved and 
cherished dead the light and promise of a 
reunion in heaven. 

For the sake of your child emulate the 
zeal and example of Lois and Eunice; in 
the early morning of life sow the seeds 
and God will give the increase, and at 



DUTY OF PARENT. 59 

last — for there will be a last for all of us 
— when life's labors are done, you shall 
all meet again around the great white 
throne to part no more forever. 

"Lead, Kindly Light amid the encircling gloom, 

Lead Thou me on: 
The night is dark, and I am far from home, 

Lead Thou me on, 
Keep Thou my feet ; I do not ask to see 
The distant scene ; one step enough for me." 



CHAPTER IV. 



WHEN SHOULD A CHTLD JO IX THE CHURCH 
AND WHAT THE PARENTS' DUTY IS 
IN HELPING THE CHILD 
TO DECIDE. 

We assume, as a natural sequence, that 
you, as Christian parents, wish your 
child to unite with the church of Jesus 
Christ, for we cannot make ourselves be- 
lieve that you, who are members of the 
church, could think of anything else. You 
have, both by precept and example, im- 
pressed upon his mind the duty as well as 
the blessed privilege of being a communi- 
cant member of the company of believers 
journeying toward the heavenly Jerusa- 
lem. Your child is growing up about you, 
and are you, true to the vows taken at his 



WHEN "SHOULD A CHILD JOIN. 61' 

baptism, doing > our part to see that at 
the proper age he is instructed in the way 
of the Lord and will become a member of 
the household of faith? The question, 
naturally, follows : At what age should 
your child join the church? Here, no 
doubt, some will differ with me, for I be- 
lieve in having them unite earlier than 
many of the parents, in some sections of 
our church, think they should, and I be- 
lieve that sacred Scripture as well as ex- 
perience will bear me out in this asser 
tion. You say : I do not believe in 
having a child join before he knows what 
he is doing. Here, of course, we agree, 
but we may differ as to the age in which 
your child reaches conscious moral re- 
sponsibility — some children reach that 
period at a comparatively early age — or, 
may be, you decide to allow your child to 
grow up and choose for himself, and the 
result is he grows up and does not choose 



62 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

at all. If so, my friend, you are respon- 
sible to God and must answer for a neg- 
lect of your sacred duty toward your 
child. 

Do you not think it better, not to say 
safer, that your boy should grow up inside 
than outside of the church ? Do you not 
think it far better and wiser that he should 
form correct habits in early life, than to 
"sow wild oats" for a season, and then 
break away from his indifferent or sinful 
habits and companions? You have an 
influence over your boy until he reaches 
a certain age, and then he is beyond your 
control in many matters. There is danger 
in your delaying in this matter until he 
reaches a more mature age. There was a 
time, a generation or two past, when it 
was safe to wait to confirm the boys until 
they were grown up, but that day is past, 
for, in our age, the boys become men much 
sooner than they used to and are beyond 
the parents' control in a short time. 



WHEN SHOULD A CHILD JOIN. 63 

Remember this, fathers and mothers, to 
begin with Christ early means to begin 
life well, for what springtime is, in nature, 
that youth is in the life of man, and a 
wasted youth like a wasted springtime 
will leave its baneful and barren effects 
% in the summer and autumn of life. When 
the fruit trees are hurt by the frosts in 
springtime, they never again, during all 
that season, recover completely. Every 
period of life has its lessons to be learned 
and its duties to be performed and, there- 
fore, if you hope that your child may do 
his whole duty, as a man, you must see to 
it now that he make the proper use of 
childhood and youth — the periods of prep- 
aration. 

Early in Christ means a longer time for 
Christian development, and thus you may 

I>e for a more mature Christian charac- 
ter. We learn by doing, and we grow and 
develop by exercising our powers. As a 



64 THE CHURCH MEMBE3, 

rule, the world owes but little to those 
who began at the eleventh hour. 

Again, when we read God's word, we 
find that it is full of rich promises to 
youth. "Remember, now. thy Creator, in 
the days of thy youth." etc. "Eejoice. 0 
young man, in thy youth, and let thy 
heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, 
and walk in the ways of thine heart, and 
in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, 
that for all these things God will bring 
thee into judgment." These and many 
similar passages show us the special com- 
mands of the Lord to youth with its pecu- 
liar advantages and dangers. God forbid 
that they should live a life of sin in youth 
with the hope of living a life of holiness 
in old age. The sins of youth will leave 
their baneful effects which all subsequent- 
life cannot eradicate. May it not be said : 
"His bones are full of the sins of his 
youth, which shall lie down with him in 
the dust/' 



WHEN SHOULD A CHILD JOIN. 65 

No, my dear reader, it is dangerous to 
delay until later lite. You can rest as- 
sured on the testimony of the aged saints 
near the sunset of life, and you will find 
that none of those, who in their early 
days consecrated their life and service to 
Christ, ever in after years regretted having 
done so. Their chief joy and consolation, 
in their declining days, was the sweet 
satisfaction of having spent their days in 
the service of the Master Whom they soon 
shall meet in the heavenly home. 

Read God's word, relating to the Jewish 
church, and you will find that according 
to Jewish tradition the age of twelve was 
a very important period in a boy's life, 
At the age of twelve the Jewish lad was 
expected to join with the elders in relig- 
ious duties. At the age of twelve Moses 
left Pharoah's court, "choosing rather to 
suffer affliction with the people of God 
than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a 



66 THE CHl'KCH MEMBER. 

season." At the age of twelve. Joshua 
dreamed of his great life work. At the 
age of twelve. Samuel heard the call of 
God while serving the aged Eli. At the 
age of twelve, Solomon judged between 
the contending women and restored to tlie 
sorrowing mother her true child. 

The age of twelve was a turning point, 
a deciding period, a crisis, in the life of 
every Jewish lad — then he became a "Son 
of the Law" and was considered morally 
responsible for his words and deeds. 

At the age of twelve we see Jesus, with 
His parents, going up to Jerusalem to at- 
tend the Temple service, and He is found 
among the doctors asking questions which 
puzzled the most profound. Here we 
have ideal parents, at the temple service 
and their Boy is with them, and here they 
dedicate Hi in to the Lord. How beauti- 
ful a sight it is to see parents and children 
come up to the house of the Lord together ! 



WHEN SHOULD A CHILD JOIN. 67 

The child Jesus was brought, He was not- 
sent, nor was He left to choose for Him- 
self or not to choose at all, as so many tip. 
Joseph and Mary did not wait until He 
was old enough to know what He was 
doing or why He joined the caravan on 
that long pilgrimage. They knew that a 
father and mother could reach their boy. 
in his younger days, while, so often, in a 
few more years he would be beyond theii 
control. They knew that a boy learns of 
things sacred by doing sacred things, and. 
they realized, that it was better and safer 
for Him to grow up inside of the church 
than outside. In our day too many fath- 
ers and mothers allow their boy to grow 
up outside of the church of Christ, where 
he will certainly not grow better, but the 
chances are the direct opposite — they ex- 
pect him to join later, but their expecta- 
tions too often are not realized. There is 
something radically wrong in much of our 



68 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

so-called home training, else we would not 
see so many grown up sons and daughters 
out of the church when father and mother 
both belong. Oh, parents, I plead with 
you. do not neglect this important duty ! 
It is one which, as parents, you cannot 
delegate to your pastor nor to any other 
person living. This is a personal duty 
which rests with you and for which God 
holds you responsible. 

My dear reader, if you stop and think 
how you plan and help your boy to decide 
in temporal matter, you will see the wis- 
dom of my strong appeal in helping him 
to start aright on the way that leads to 
eternal life. You use good judgment and 
common sense in directing your boy's in- 
tellectual education. You do not wait to 
have him admitted to school until he is 
old enough to know why he is going. 
No, if you did, too many precious years 
would be wasted and he would see it only 



W HEX SHOULD A CHILD JOIN. 69 

when too late. The idea of the church is 
a spiritual home in which we may develop 
Christian character — Christian life — and 
we join it not because we are good, but 
because we are striving to do better, and 
here we find helps and the means of grace 
to assist us. Then, do not wait until your 
child knows everything, else he will never 
come. Every year of waiting makes it 
more difficult to decide, for his ways and 
habits in life become more fixed and the 
world will have made a greater impress 
upon his character. The younger he de- 
cides for Christ the easier and the safer 
in the end it will be. We learn, from the 
Holy Eecord, that so soon as Jesus was 
old enough to join public worship, His 
parents took Him to the Temple. It was 
not enough that they set Him a good ex- 
ample, but they proposed to bring Him 
up in the right way. They knew, that 
whatever a child ought to do, that 



70 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

brought, to the parents, the sacred re- 
sponsibility of seeing that it is done. If 
He likes to do it, so much the better, and 
if He does not like to do it, so much the 
more need is there that the parents 
should urge Him to do it. Yes. even the 
Child Jesus needed the worship in the 
sanctuary, and the training and devotion 
which went with it, "And the child 
grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled 
with wisdom'' * * f " "And Jesus in- 
creased in wisdom and stature, and in 
favor with God and man." How sad, it 
is. to think, that so verv manv parents 
neglect their duty toward their children in 
bringing them into the fold of Christ. I 
know of a mother, herself a communicant 
member of the church, who was broached, 
by her pastor, on the subject of her 
daughter, then a young ladv of seventeen, 
uniting with the church, and, in her 
daughter's presence, she replied: "It is 



WHEN SHOULD A CHILD JODff. 71 

all right to me, just as she decides.'' My 
friends, no argument is necessary to see, 
that here was a lack of home influence. 
The mother could give her daughter ad- 
vice on ail other subjects, but the one re- 
lating to her eternal salvation was left to 
the whims and fancies of the daughter. 
Thus many parents neglect their duty to- 
ward their child for vears and at last thev 
awaken to the fact and then want the 
pastor to speak with the son or daughter. 
But, remember, your pastor can not atone 
for your negligence; he is willing to do 
all he can, but if your child has gone 
astray through you neglecting your duty 
all these vears. the pastor is not likelv 
able to reach him. 

See to it, then, parents, that your child 
is brought to the house of God, early in 
life, and his desire will be : "to be with 
the people of God." Here he will receive 
the help and grace of God ; here he will 



72 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

enjoy the benefits and blessings which 
shall come to all the faithful — "For the 
promise is unto you, and to your children, 
and to all that are afar off, even as many 
as the Lord our God shall call." See to 
it then that your child becomes a member 
of the church of Christ, and, until he is 
here, your full duty, as a parent, is not 
discharged, no matter what else you may 
have done for him. May God help you 
to be faithful in this important and 
ofttimes difficult task is our prayer. 

"Oh. talk to me of heaven ! 1 love 
To hear about my home above ; 
For there cloth many a loved one dwell 
In light and joy ineffable. 

O ! tell me how they shine and sing. 
While every harp rings echoing. 
And every glad and tearless eye 
Beams like the bright sun gloriously. 

Tell me of that victorious palm. 
Each hand in glory beareth : 
Tell me of that celestial calm, 
Each face in glory weareth I" 



CHAPTER V. 

THE SUXDAY SCHOOL — WHAT IS IT ? AND 
OUR DUTY TO IT. 

One of the last commands of our blessed 
Lord to the restored Apostle Peter, was : 
"Feed my lambs" — that is : Be a shep- 
herd over the tender lambs of the flock. 
Lead them by the "still waters" and in the 
"green pastures." 

The lambs of the flock are those who 
have come, lately, into the fold, and they 
need special care and oversight — this most 
important charge I commit into your 
hands. 

This same charge comes to the church 
today, of which you, my reader, I assume, 
are a member who is interested in the 
cause and work of the Master, hence it 



74 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

comes to you with equally as much force 
as it did to the Apostle almost nineteen 
hundred years ago. 

Our blessed Lord saw what has been the 
experience of the church ever since His 
time, viz : That the success of the Gospel 
of Christ among any people depends to a 
great extent upon the care and training 
which is given to the lambs of the flock. 
The hope of the church in heathen lands 
is in winning the lambs of the flock, who 
will be the future men and women, to 
Christ. 

The world at large for time im memor- 
able has been heeding this command of 
the Lord even before the time of Christ, 
and in the degree that the people have 
been faithful to this charge to that extent 
have they prospered. 

While it is generally conceded that the 
Sunday school, as an agency for popular 
religious instruction, had its origin in the 



THE c SUNDAY SCHOOL— WHAT IS IT ? 75 

work of Robert Raikes, of Gloucester, 
England, in the year of our Lord, 1780, 
yet it was by no means the beginning of 
that method of popular instruction which 
it has come to represent in the plans of 
the Christian church of today. We are 
told : "Even in Abraham's time he had 
318 instructors who taught his people's 
children the law of God, and, under the 
Mosaic law, the children as well as the 
parents were commanded to be gathered 
before the Lord for the study of the Law, 
in order that they might supplement any 
lack in their home instructions in relig- 
ious knowledge, and a very important 
feature of the Synagogue service, after 
their return from the Babylonian captiv- 
ity was the study of the Law by free ques- 
tioning and answering. 

While, in connection with the Syna- 
gogue, a system of religious schools was 
organized in the first century before Christ, 



T6 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

and every Jewish child, from five to seven 
years of age, was obliged to be in the 
synagogue Bible school and pass from 
one grade of study to another until he 
reached full manhood. These schools ex- 
isted the time of our Lord's earthly life 
and He attended one of them and in them 
He taught as He- went from place to 
place. 

We find the same in the Apostlic 
church and it was only when the eccles- 
iastical spirit overcame the evangelical 
that the teaching of the Bible to the 
young was put aside, and many able his- 
torians attribute this as the cause of the 
decline of learning, and the "dark ages" 
as the natural result. At any rate, when 
the Rennaissance and the great Reforma- 
tion swept over the continent and beyond 
the seas, we find all the Reformers pre- 
paring catechisms and again we see spe- 
cial stress laid on the training of the child 



THE SUNDAY SCHOOL — WHAT IS IT? 77 

and youth, and we bear the bold Saxon/ 
Luther, say : "The children are the seed 
and source of the church and for the 
church's sake Christian schools must be 
established and maintained, for God 
maintains the church through the schools." 
But again, in time, the polemic spirit led 
to the overshadowing of teaching by 
preaching and the child's religious in- 
struction was confined to a desultory re- 
citing of the catechism, and later by some 
church bodies entirely neglected, and as 
a natural consequence there was again a 
sad decline in the religious life during the 
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, 
which gave rise to free thinking and 
agnosticism, both in the colonies and in 
the continent beyond the Atlantic ; but 
following the great religious revival, dur- 
ing the middle of the eighteenth century, 
came the modern Sunday school which 
has, since then, been the main agency for 



78 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

popular religious instruction. True, its 
beginning was unsatisfactory. There was 
a lack of unity and system in Bible study. 
And it required almost another century of 
evolution when in 1873 Mr. B. F. Jacobs 
submitted a uniform system of Bible 
studies which covers the salient points 
and dwells upon the underlying principles 
of the Old and New Testaments in periods 
of seven years, making three series or the 
whole cycle covering the principal parts 
in 21 years. Thus the whole English 
speaking world has a uniform series of 
lessons and the publication houses feel 
justified in preparing helps for the lessons 
in which they employ the ripest scholars 
and the most profound thinkers who give 
us wise interpretations that lead us on to 
that greater light— Christ Jesus. 

These lessons may not be what all or 
some would desire, and there is still a 
wide margin for improvement, but in 



THE SUNDAY SCHOOL — WHAT IS IT ? 79 

comparison with former times we are liv- 
ing in an age of great and glorious privi- 
leges, and as naturally follows, the greater 
the opportunity the greater the responsi- 
bility, hence the command, "feed my 
lambs," comes to us, living in this closing 
year of the century, with redoubled force. 

As the church advances she is awaken- 
ing to a fuller sense of her duty toward 
the lambs of the flock and the signs of 
the times warn us to "be wise as serpents 
and harmless as doves." Every age, of 
the church, has her battles to fight and 
her principles to defend and we must 
needs "put on the whole armor of God" 
for the warfare must not only be defen- 
sive but also offensive ; we must "go up 
and take the land" for the Lord, and it is 
our prerogative to use all legitimate 
means at hand. 

The opposition to the Sunday schools 
has long since ceased, and all admit to- 



80 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

day that it lias its place, and an import- 
ant place, it is, as an instrument in God's 
hand for the dissemination of Christian 
knowledge and the regeneration of the 
world. But it is a supplementary institu- 
tion designed principally to compensate 
in a manner or make up for deficient and 
neglected home training. If all parents 
would do their whole duty in the relig- 
ious training of childhood and youth the 
Sunday school would not be a necessity 
as it is under existing circumstances. 

Whenever a child comes to a home God 
says: "Take this child *' * * and 
nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy 
wages," Exodus, 2: 9. But alas, too 
many of our so-called parents are worse 
than indifferent to all that is high and 
holy, and the child receives no nursing— 
training — and this deficiency must be sup- 
plied or made up as near as possible in 
some other way. To such children the 



THE SUNDAY SCHOOL— WHAT IS IT? 81 

Sunday school comes with its benign in- 
fluence and tries to lead the unfolding in- 
tellect to a knowledge of divine things 
that the young heart and mind may have 
a higher view of a true life. 

It goes without saying, that there is 
nothing — no Sunday school nor any other 
training — which can take the place of 
home training, but, under existing cir- 
cumstances, the homes must be supple- 
mented by something which the Sunday 
school affords. Too many of our homes 
are hot beds of vice in which the tender 
buds of promise are growing up sur- 
rounded by a poisonous moral atmos- 
phere and the church through the Sunday 
school has lengthened her cords and tries 
to reach the child and develop, in him, a 
sense of moral responsibility. 

The churches and the public schools of 
our land have grave issues to meet, 
or rather to counteract, which if not 



82 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

righted are sure to cause moral ruin in 
the end and the name of our posterity 
will be "Iehabod" — "departed glory." 
The laws of our land are for the purpose 
of defending the weak and innocent and 
to punish the guilty ; w-hile the church 
and the schools are aiming to prevent 
crime, and "an ounce of prevention is 
worth a pound of cure." But, despite 
the efforts put forth, we find pauperism 
and vagrancy, vice and crime increasing 
at an alarmingly rapid rate. Environ- 
ment, heredity, drink, and neglected home 
training all contribute their quota to this 
sad state of affairs. All this host of de- 
graded humanitv have had their training 
or rather lack of training, in some homes. 
There is something radically wrong in 
much of our so-called home life. Ease, 
luxury, and present pleasure seem to be 
the highest ambition of far too many in 
our day. Some parents seem to think 



THE SUNDAY SCHOOL— WHAT IS IT ? 83 

that if they provide for the temporal 
wants of their children then their whole 
duty is done, but, my friends, there is a 
deeper law written on our very being 
which must be recognized or ruin is sure 
to follow. 

If society hopes to maintain its purity 
and integrity it must have honest, intelli- 
gent, God-fearing men and women, and 
as these virtues are not the natural 
growth in some homes they must be de- 
veloped outside and transplanted. 

The state uses its authority and thus 
reaches out its long, strong arm of law 
and lays it upon your child, saying : 
This will be one of our future men and 
I will look after him. I will give him an 
education so that he will become an in- 
telligent citizen, able to discharge the 
duties of citizenship intelligently and 
honorably. Thus the state establishes 
schools and maintains them for the good 



84 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

of her future citizens and in some eases 
has compulsionary laws, making it oblig- 
atory, on the part of parents, to do their 
duty with their child, and by taxation — 
which is nothing else than forced charity 
— each property owner helps to educate 
our future men and women. The state 
wants and needs honest, industrious citi- 
zens who can intelligently, and who will 
faithfully discharge their duties, and hence 
it has its laws protecting its future men 
and women. But back ot this public 
spirit for the good of its citizens there is a 
deeper law — the law of benevolence — be- 
cause the churches have moulded and 
shaped public opinion and taught the 
world the great ''Golden Rule" and the 
underlying principles of the "Sermon on 
the Mount." 

The religion of Jesus Christ has ever 
had the best interest of humanity at heart. 
It is altruistic in the fullest sense of the 



WHEN SHOULD A CHILD JOIN. 85 

term. It has fostered intelligence, hon- 
esty, and industry. Our forefathers, 
coming to the wilds of America, built the 
church and schoolhouse side by side. 
The church has ever recognized her sacred 
duty of looking after the lambs of the 
flock, and in earlier days the good old 
Bible was the text book, iu our schools, 
when those beautiful Scripture lessons 
and Bible stories were impressed indel- 
ibly upon the young and tender minds 
and these greatly helped to shape and 
mould their lives for true greatness. Yes, 
the Bible has ever been the friend of learn- 
ing as well as the champion of men's 
rights. 

The one object of the Sunday school, 
today, is to make Bible scholars, of those, 
who learn it not iu their homes, for the 
purpose of making true, worthy citizens 
for the great commonwealth of Israel. 

The Sunday school is the handmaid of 



88 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

the home and church, and though it is of 
human origin, yet Gocl has set his stamp 
of approval upon it without the shadow 
of a doubt ; and if the church is to be the 
Pool of Saloam where the leprous sinner 
may find healing remedies, she must direct 
her force to the fountain of immortal youth. 
If the young life— the fountain — is pure, 
then the stream is more likely to remain 
untarnished. 

The future hope of , the church rests 
upon the shoulders of the boys and girls 
who are now coming up through the Sun- 
day school. Neglect the training of the 
young and the church will surely follow in 
the downward wake. The fathers and 
mothers of today will soon sleep with 
their forefathers in the village graveyard 
and the boys and girls must be ready to 
take their places in the church, or its glory 
will depart. 

The streugth of the church lies not so 



WHEN SHOULD A CHILD JOIN. 87 

much in numbers nor in the wealth of her 
members as in the consecrated men and 
women, and the church of the future needs 
Bible Christians full of the love of the 
crucified and risen Savior, and burning 
with zeal for His cause. The church 
needs Christians who can give a "reason 
for the hope" that is in them. The plans 
and purpose of the Sunday school is to 
instruct the children and youth in the 
knowledge of the Holy Scriptures in order 
that its precious precepts may shape and 
mould their conduct, thus inspiring them 
to live aright here and at last enter into 
that "rest which remaineth for the people 
of God." 

The early impressions can never be 
eradicated. They w ill last until time shall 
be no more ; and scarce a ray of heavenly 
light ever penetrates the minds of many 
of the rising generations save as it comes 
through the Sunday school. Many an one 



86 THE CHURCH MEMBER, 

is thus led into the church of Christ 
through the influence of the Sunday 
school. 

A grave and solemn task is ours and 
may we awaken to the opportunity and 
duty that lies before us. God meant that 
we should give our aid and co-operation 
by our presence, and in helping to gather 
neglected childhood not onlv from the 
"highways and hedges," but also from the 
high places and byways, 

It is our duty to do all we can to bring 
our fellow men of all ranks and condi- 
tions to a saving knowledge of Christ. 
Thus we can help to save the souls of 
those who are in need of help but do not 
know it. God meant that we. as professed 
followers of Jesus Christ, should be inter- 
ested in everything that will advance and 
perpetuate the welfare of our fellow men 
and the spread of God's kingdom, and 
our interest must manifest itselt in a prac- 



THE SUNDAY SCHOOL— WHAT IS IT ? 89 

tical and tangible form. We can only 
save our own souls by helping to save 
others, that is Christ's law of Christianity. 

We are aiming not only to prepare the 
lambs of the flock for good citizenship 
here, but also for the heavenly country. 
We are building to last after we are sleep- 
ing in our graves. We are laboring for 
the peace and prosperity of Zion, and 
unless the world is a better, a happier, and 
a nobler place for our having been in it 
we have been unfaithful to our life trust 
and our life is worse than wasted. 

Then, my friends, let us do our part 
faithfully in life's great conflict. Each 
one of us has some influence for good and 
may we use it aright, may some hearts be 
happier and better because they have 
known us. Here we have a golden op- 
portunity to use our influence. Let us be 
up and doing "while it is day, for the 
night cometh when no man can work." 



90 



THE CHURCH MEMBER. 



And by and by each one must give an ac- 
count for the opportunities he has had to 
do good. 

Let the members of the church of Christ 
measure up to a full sense of their various 
duties and the world will be won for 
Christ. Let each one do his duty in deed- 
ing the lambs," and especially have we a 
right to expect to find the officers at their 
places giving their example, their help 
and influence to this important branch of 
church work. 

Pray to the Father for light and guid- 
ance as you journey over unfamiliar or 
difficult paths. Do your whole duty 
faithfully, for, in caring for the "lambs of 
the flock, you are caring for the best in- 
terest of Christ's kingdom, as well as for 
the best interest of your community and 
land, for whatever will bring us to a 
better knowledge of God and His will, 
will also make us better citizens. 



THE SUNDAY SCHOOL — WHAT IS IT ? 91 

Go forward, then, in your noble work. 
You can give no valid excuse, nor will 
you ask one, if you are full of the love of 
God and for perishing souls, and by doing 
good to others you will do good to self, 
for good is reflexive. Be true to your 
fellowmen and the reward is sure to come 
for "our labor in the Lord is not in vain." 

"No word falls fruitless ; none can tell 

How vast its power may be, 
Nor what results enfolded dwell 

Within it silently. 

Work and despair not ; give thy mite, 

Nor care how small it be ; 
God is with all that serve the right, 

The holy, true, and free !" 



CHAPTER VI. 

CHRISTIAN DEVELOPMENT AXD CHRISTIAN 
WORK. 

Christianity is not only a belief or a 
profession, but it is a life, and as it is the 
province or nature of all life to develop 
from a less perfect to a more perfect 
stage so do we look for, and have a right 
to expect, a growth in Christian life and 
character. We are to "grow in grace, 
and in the knowledge of our Lord and 
Savior Jesus Christ'' as we grow in years. 

Paul writing to the Philippian brethren 
says : "Brethren, I count not myself to 
have apprehended ; but this one thing I 
do, forgetting those things which are be- 
hind and reaching forth unto those things 
which are before, I press toward the 



CHRISTIAN DEVELOPMENT AND WORK. 93 

mark for the prize of the high calling of 
God in Christ Jesus." What Paul here 
meant, in a few words, w r as : I have not 
yet, by any means, reached the highest 
stage of Christian character or develop- 
ment, I am not satisfied with what I have 
done nor with my experience in the past, 
for there is yet much before me and I 
must press forward to attain it. With 
Paul it was ever forward and onward to- 
ward a better and nobler life. His spirit- 
ual attainments developed spiritual ca- 
pacities ; for him this life was not a fin- 
ished period, but merely a period of prep- 
aration and he must press on from one 
stage to another, step by step, to higher 
and larger attainments. So with you 
and me, our work lies before and not be- 
hind us. The motto of the disciple of 
Christ is: Ever forward to duty, to 
nobleness. 



94 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

"Ne'er think the victory won. 

Nor lay thine armor down, 
The arduous work will not be done. 

"Till thou obtain thy crown." 

Thus, the duty of the child of God is to 
go forward "overcoming evil with good/' 
advancing and conquering to conquer. 

Use your spiritual powers ; expand 
your life, your manhood, and your useful- 
ness to a larger degree than ever attained 
before. 

Do not sit. with folded hands, gazing 
upon the past and satisfied with what 
you have done in days that have gone by. 
Your life's work is not finished else God 
would take you out of this world. God 
has spared vou all these vears for some- 
thing, therefore do not be satisfied with 
what you have done in the past. If you 
were true and faithful, in the long ago, 
you then only did your duty, and, if now 
you are resting your hope on that. I fear, 



CHRISTIAN DEVELOPMENT AND WORK. 95 

you will be sadly disappointed, at the 
close of life. 

God has given you long days for a pur- 
pose ; to cheer hearts and homes darkened 
by sin and sorrow, to lighten the burdens 
of others, and to encourage and cheer the 
weak and faltering, in short, to make the 
world better and happier and larger for 
your being in it. Today you are better 
prepared to do a noble work than ever be- 
fore, because these years have brought to 
you experience, matured judgment, and 
Christian growth, and, unless, you are in- 
capacitated by infirmities you are not ex- 
cusable for your inactivity. 

The trouble is, so many church mem- 
bers gauge their Christian duty by what 
some other poor, weak, unfaithful mem- 
ber has done, and, thus, by gauging by a 
false standard, they come far short of 
their whole duty. 

Have you, my friend, done your part in 



96 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

bearing the burdens of the Lord's work ? 
or are you, in your mind, too old to be 
actively engaged in the Master's vine- 
yard ? Let us reason a little ; can you 
still attend to your own business affairs 
or must some one be a guardian over 
you ? Can you still be up and about dur- 
ing the week days in time to do a day's 
labor ? If so then you are not as near, 
or wholly, incapacitated, for the Lord's 
work as you imagined. 

If ever the time comes that your heart 
is in the Lord's work as in your secular 
affairs, then you will find it a pleasure to 
do the Lord's bidding and not seek refuge 
behind shallow or make-believe excuses. 

Paul writing to the Christians in Gala- 
tia says : "Be not deceived ; God is not 
mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, 
that shall he also reap ;" then he con- 
tinues, "and let us not be weary in well 
doing; for in due season we shall reap, if 



CHRISTIAN DEVELOPMENT AND WORK. 97 

we faint not." It is not wrong to grow 
weary in well doing, but it is wrong to 
grow weary of well doing. The self-sac- 
rificing patriots, those Revolutionary war 
forefathers, who wrote our Nation's 
liberty with their own blood, often grew 
weary in their struggles for the cause of 
liberty, but they had such firm faith in its 
results that they never grew weary of the 
cause of liberty, and finally their earnest 
efforts were rewarded and we see them 
plant the flag of freedom— the stars and 
the stripes — our Xational emblem, in 
every hamlet, along every coast, and upon 
every hill-top in our land. 

Yea, often were those self-sacrificing 
patriots discouraged and almost dis- 
heartened ; often were they weak and 
footsore leaving their bloody footprints 
on the frozen ground. In their wilder- 
ness homes they left loving wives and 
helpless children, in hunger and want. 



98 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

and their hearts grew home sick for the 
little family circle. Yea, they suffered 
hardship and anguish untold — often 
weary in well doing but never weary of 
well doing. 

The same may be said of every worthy 
enterprise and cause which has brought 
us blessings, opportunities, and privileges. 
Every privilege and blessing we enjoy has 
cost some one labor, anxiety, and sacrifice. 
So we, as members of the church of Christ, 
have a glorious cause to defend and per- 
petuate, and hand down, untarnished and 
undiminished, to our posterity. Let us 
be true to the privileges and opportunities 
entrusted in our hands. Go forward to 
victory ! Be true to the cause you es- 
pousg. Rally about the Standard-bearer, 
Jesus the Christ, and He will inspire you 
with a new life and with holy zeal I Be a 
whole-hearted Christian. "Walk as chil- 
dren of light.'' Do not be in the church 



CHRISTIAN DEVELOPMENT AXD WORK. 99 

merely for "the loaves and fishes." Do 
not use the livery of heaven for filthy 
lucre. "Consecrate yourselves, this day, 
to the Lord, that He may bestow upon 
you a blessing." 

Do not be afraid you are doing too much 
for the church of Christ. You can never 
repay her for what she has done for you — 
in this life all the blessings of education, 
civilization, etc., owe their fostering care 
to the church as a mother. If you are 
blest with great intellectual ability, thank 
God that you have it, and can use it for 
His cause— opportunities bring to us re- 
sponsibilities. If you have financial abil- 
ity, thank God that He has counted you 
worthy to be a steward, and then give 
what is due Him. If others, who have as 
much or perhaps more of this world's 
goods, give a mere pittance to the Lord, 
I pray you, do not gauge your liberality 
by theirs. Theirs is a false standard, and 
LrfC 



100 THE CHURCH MEMBES. 

they, failing to do their duty, will not 
justify you in failing to do yours. 

You love to sacrifice for those whom 
you love. You are willing to sacrifice in 
order that you may contribute to a cause 
that lies near to your heart. So. if you 
have the true love for Christ and His 
cause, it will be a pleasure to contribute 
for its support. 

On the other hand, if you withhold that 
which belongs to the Lord, your soul will 
grow smaller and the Christ love is in 
danger of dying within you. Study the 
demands of the church. Have an intelli- 
gent understanding of her needs, and you 
will want to give. It is a hopeful sign 
when great demands are made upon us. 
it reveals the fact that the Kingdom is 
gi )wing. Oh, be honest in giving the 
Lord what is due Him from you as stew- 
ards ! Eemember. a cheap religion makes 
cheap Christians. Then develop the spirit 



WHEN SHOULD A CHILD JOIN". 101 

of liberality for the Lord's cause and you 
will, develop a larger Christian life. You 
always Lave money for the things you 
love best. Pray God to enable you to 
love His Kingdom in a more tangible 
form, that you may labor for the peace 
and prosperity of Zion, for the widening 
of her borders. What we need for the 
evangelization of the world is, not so 
much more church members as better 
ones filled with the love of God's cause. 
Therefore "make full proof of your min- 
istry of reconciliation." Use the means 
of grace. "Be diligent in season and out 
of season." "Quit yourselves like men, 
be strong." In fact, so live that with 
Paul you can say : "And herein do I ex- 
ercise myself, to have always a conscience 
void of offense toward God and toward 
men," and then you will grow more Christ- 
like day by day until, at last, you shall be 
able to say : "For I am now ready to be 



102 



THE CHURCH MEMBER. 



offered, and the time of my departure 
is at hand. I have fought a good fight. 
I have finished my coarse. I have kept 
the faith : Henceforth there is laid up for 
me a crown of righteousness, which the 
Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me 
at that day : and not to me only, but unto 
all them also that love his appearing/' 

We are weak, but Thou art mighty, 
Help us then, oh Lord, we pray ! 

Take us by Thy hand and lead us 
As we wander day by day. 

Help us, in our lonely journey, 

Day by day on Thee rely ; 
Help us when the storms do gather, 

Help, oh help us, Lord ! we cry. 

And, at last, when Death shall claim us, 
Take us home to Thee, we pray, 

To the home of many mansions, 
To the home of endless day. 

Where a happy welcome waits us 
From the loved ones gone before, 

There to dwell, in bliss, with Jesus 
And our friends forever more. 

January, 1900. S. H. D, 



CHAPTER VII. 

YOUR MINISTER, AND HOW YOU CAN ASSIST 
AND ENCOURAGE HTM. 

There is no one more conscious of the 
solemn responsibility which the sacred 
office, of the ministry, bears with it than 
the minister himself. He has spent the 
best part of his youth and young man- 
hood in preparing himself for the sacred 
office. He has studied books and men, 
and he sees the sad havoc that sin has 
wrought upon the human race. He sees 
what God sacrificed for the salvation of 
the race. He loves souls, else he would 
not stand at the sacred desk. He comes to 
you, as the servant of God, to encourage 
and guide you in doing the Lord's will 
upon earth as it is done in heaven ; his 



104 



THE CHURCH MEMBER. 



education and training have all been with 
that end in view. 

By the help and grace of God he tries ; 
to comfort the bereft, to encourage the 
weak and faltering, to warn the careless 
and indifferent, and to awaken in them a 
sense of duty to God and fellow man. 
To what extent his ministry, in your midst, 
will be a success depends as much upon 
you — your prayers and co-operation — as 
upon his own zeal and fitness. You must 
not expect to sit down, with folded hands, 
and have him to do everything. He 
comes to you, as the servant of the Most 
High, with God's authority and promises, 
but, he needs your assistance also. He is 
human, and, in the onerous duties of his 
sacred office and in his "zeal for good 
works," there are times when the dark 
shadows will fall upon his pathway, and 
he passes under the cloud or through 
deep waters and then he needs human, as 
well as divine, encouragement. 



HOW YOU CAN ASSIST YOUR MINISTER. 105 

Your best interests and welfare are ever 
near to his heart and he tries to "preach 
Christ and Him crucified" for your com- 
fort and edification. But he cannot preach 
to empty pews. He needs your presence 
and prayers at the services in the sanctu- 
ary. There is nothing harder than to 
preach to empty pews. He must have 
living beings whose countenances show ap- 
preciative and responsive souls breathing 
out prayers in his behalf. The minister 
looks over the congregation and sees 
your pew vacant and at once it cools his 
ardor. He may have driven five or six 
or even more miles through heat or cold, 
through rain or sunshine, across almost 
impassable roads, but observes your ab- 
sence, when you have but a few squares 
to the house of the Lord. Surely, if you 
are a consistent church member, you have 
a greater interest in your church and a 
greater love for your pastor than be so 



106 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

indifferent to your privileges and duties. 

You have pledged your "love and co- 
operation," through your representatives 
— the church officers — when he is called 
to become your pastor, and, pray tell me, 
why so indifferent and unfaithful now? 
He is fulfilling his part of the contract. 
Tn his quiet study he has you in mind 
during the preparation of his sermons, but 
vou are seldom seen at the regular Lord's 
Day services, much less at the mid-week 
prayer meeting, and, consequently, his 
message will not inspire nor encourage 
nor comfort you. 

Eemember, there is nothing that 
causes more anxiety, to an earnest pastor, 
than the careless, haphazzard manner in 
which some people regard the sacred priv- 
ilege of attending the services in the 
sanctuary, not to say anything of their 
duty to attend, for which God holds them 
accountable. 



HOW YOU CAN ASSIST YOUR MINISTER. 107 

But happy, thrice happy, are we, who 
are messengers of God, preaching the. 
Glad Tidings to a (lying world, that we 
find many true, good, and faithful mem- 
bers, in our parishes, who, when they are 
absent, have a real and not an imaginary 
reason. 

To the minister there is nothing more 
beautiful than to see the whole family — 
father, mother, young men, and young 
women — in their accustomed places at all 
times and upon all occasions. 

Then, again, if your pastor gives you a 
discourse which cheers your soul and en- 
courages you to a higher life, let him 
know that it has done you good. He is 
not asking for vain, empty applause, but 
it does his soul good to know that he has 
been instrumental, in God's hands, of 
helping and cheering some pilgrim on his 
way to the heavenly home. He ofttimes 
needs a word of encouragment. At 



rimes, he thinks his work is for naught or 
may be his ['reaching does not reach the 
people, while, at the same time, his peo- 
ple love him greatly and are highly bene- 
fited by his sermons but are too timid to 
tell him so. 

It has been the experience of more 
than one minister, who thought his efforts 
not appreciated or for naught, answered 
a CO.U to some other field, and. when about 
to leave, only realized how much he and 
his services were appreciated by his pa- 
rishioners, It was then he said : Had I 
only been conscious of the fact that my 
efforts were so much appreciated I would 
have been content to remain. Thus, my 
dear readers, I would say : Do not forget 
to show your appreciation before it is too 
late. As my good Virginia classmate 
used to say "It does us a heap of good" 
to receive a word of encouragment once 
in a while. 



HOW YOU CAN ASSIST YOUR MINISTER. 109 

Another way to encourage your pastor 
is: Pay your salary promptly. It is an 
honest debt and you desire to maintain 
your honor as a church. 

Your pastor has obligations to meet. 
He has many demands of which others 
know nothing. There is no class of pro- 
fessional men more poorly paid, for their 
services rendered, than the ministry, 
when you take into consideration the 
time and money and energy spent in the 
preparation for his calling, and let it be 
understood : that we are not in the min- 
istry solely with a mercenary end in view, 
and. yet. the minister and his family must 
live, and, I believe, it is the sacred duty 
of every man to lay something aside for 
old age. but this, under the present salary 
system, means the strictest economy — 
most ministers learn to practice economy 
by force of necessity — and in many cases 
it is simply impossible to more than make 



110 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

ends meet, especially if the minister was 
obliged to go into debt for his education 
as many must do. 

But, if you are the true kind of church 
member, you are jealous of your minister, 
that is, you desire that he and his family 
may be dressed respectably and live as 
cozily and comfortably as your neighbor's 
minister, and he must do this on a small 
salary, and that, ofttimes, in arrearages 
for more than six months, while your 
neighbor's pastor receives three times as 
much, promptly paid up. 

Try to be consistent, in this as in all 
your other church relations, and, remem- 
ber, no money invested will bring greater 
returns to a community than that which 
is invested in the Gospel, not, of course, 
directly in dollars and cents, but in those 
things which are priceless : happiness, 
peace, morality, thrift, and noble aims in 
life, in fact, in the Christian virtues which 



HO W YOU CAX ASSIST YOUR MINISTER. Ill 

make prosperity possible. Do, then, see 
to it that your salary is paid promptly 
and have the honor and self-respect not 
to pay an insignificant contribution. We 
have known of some so-called church 
members who would leave their Church 
obligations unpaid for a period of more 
than three years, and, at last, when ap- 
proached and urged, repudiate it; and 
they were not the poorest among the 
humble band of disciples, either. No, 
thank God for the poor as the world 
reckons wealth. Their wants are few. 
They find their chief joy in the Lord, and, 
therefore, are usually prompt in meeting 
their obligations and in responding to 
the various appeals of the church at home 
and abroad. But is those who come clad 
in purple and fine linen, those who live the 
most elaborately and feast the most sump- 
tuously that are dishonest in their church 
obligations. But rest assured there will 



112 THE CHCKCH MEMBER. 

be a day when all will be judged by the 
true standard. Such, indeed, make the 
heart of the minister sad. 

I know of a working maid who in a 
quiet and humble way contributes more, 
toward the support of the Gospel, than 
her mistress. "They that are such serve 
not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own 
belly and by good words and fair speeches 
deceive the hearts of the simple." 

These think the minister can wait until 
the last, and, of course, he will if he must, 

He is all the time preaching about 
money ! Yes, he needs it. Like the old 
colored minister who was taken to task 
because he asked so often for money — 
His critic quoting the passage of Scrip- 
ture referring to his '"reward being in 
heaven'' — replied. "Yes brudder. but I 
cannot live on that now, I cannot preach 
here and board in heaven. I must board 
here, at least, so long as I am preaching 
here." 



HOW YOU CAN ASSIST YOUR MINISTER. 113 

I beg you, my friends, do not humiliate 
your pastor. Pay your salary promptly 
and cheerfully that he may be relieved of 
all unnecessary anxiety concerning his 
temporal obligations. He has earned 
what you owe him many times over. It 
will be much easier to pay him promptly 
than to allow it to accumulate. The cash 
system is the best for all concerned in the 
end. 

Again, you can assist and encourage 
your pastor by contributing toward the 
benevolent operations of the church at 
large as he asks of you. Remember, he 
will not ask you to contribute toward any 
cause which is unworthy — classes, synods 
and the different church bodies always 
discuss the various demands made for 
aid, and they arrive at their conclusions 
after due deliberation and earnest prayer. 
These bodies apportion the amounts 
needed and send them down to the vari- 



114 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

ous charges, and, now they look to the 
pastor to see that the moneys are raised. 

If they are not raised, your pastor is, at 
times, accused of failing to do his whole 
duty by not properly presenting and urg- 
ing, the claims of the classis, to his church 
or charge. In this your pastor needs 
your co-operation and response in a 
tangible form. He distributes envelopes 
and makes an earnest appeal, but, alas ! 
how often those little envelopes — mute 
messengers pleading a cause — are con- 
signed to the flames, and on the day ap- 
pointed for the offering, possibly, only 
half of them return bearing a gift unto the 
Lord. While the coppers and nickels are 
the most in evidence on the collection 
plates, "Alexander, the coppersmith," still 
continues, as of old, to interfere with the 
spread of the Gospel. 

I kindly plead with you, church mem- 
bers, awaken to a full sense of your duty ! 



HOW YOXJ CAN ASSIST YOUR MINISTER. 115 

Have faith in your pastor. \\ ben be pre- 
sents tbe claims of the church, help bim 
to maintain the honor of your charge and 
church. It is your duty as well as a 
blessed privilege to give to and have part 
in the spreading of God's Kingdom, and 
in helping the poor and needy for, "Inas- 
much as ye have done it unto one of these 
ye have done it unto me." Oh! make 
your pastor feel and realize that you 
have faith in him, and, that you mean 
to be a helper and not a Jiinderer in the 
cause of Christ, and his labor in your 
midst will be with a light heart, and in 
reality a "labor of love," and he will have 
reason to thank God tiiat his "lot has 
fallen into pleasant places." 

In all things give him your confidence 
and co-operation. Do not be afraid you 
are doing too much for the cause of Christ. 
Put your shoulder to the Gospel chariot 
and help to lift. In fact, be a church 



116 



THE CHURCH MEMBER. 



member in reality, not in name only. 

Pray that the Holy Spirit may give 
your pastor and your church officers wis- 
dom and power and might to guide the 
attairs of the church militant aright, so 
that it may be a great power for good in 
the world. 

Do all you cau to cheer and lighten 
your pastor's labors. He needs those who 
"laugh when he laughs" and those who 
"weep when he weeps." He needs the 
touch that will make him strong. He 
needs your love and encouragement. He 
needs others to stand by and assist him in 
bearing the burdens of the parish, and, 
remember, as you are true to your pastor 
you are true to God who sent him. 

"Lord, Thine appointed servants bless. 

That they may faithful be, 
To preach the truth in righteousness. 

And sinners win to Thee. 
Uphold them by Almighty power. 

Thy strength divine impart. 
And. in each dark and trying hour. 

Cheer Thou their fainting heart." 



CHAPTEE VIII. 

THE PASTOR'S VISITING. 

With some ministers, the visiting feature 
has become the most prominent. It ap- 
pears to be their forte and the people have 
come to expect it. 

This has its place, in our ministerial 
labors, but it is not by any means all, nor 
is it the chief means for developing Christ- 
ian character. It is true, by coming in 
contact with his parishioners, in their 
everyday life, the minister sees his people 
as he does not anywhere else, and be 
learns to know their needs and wants and 
environments as he can in no other way, 
and, thus, having his congregation in 
mind, while preparing his sermons, he can 
prepare for them that spiritual food which 



118 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

their souls long for and stand most in 
need of. 

But the minister must have his hours of 
quiet and rest — his periods for holy medi- 
tation and communion with God. 

His study is his liohj of holies where he 
gathers strength and grace for his minis- 
trations. If he is to "preach the Word" 
he must study it with all diligence. If he 
is to inspire, his people, to a higher and 
better life, he himself must be full of holy 
fire. Re cannot give that which he does 
not himself possess. He cannot lead un- 
less he himself knows the way. He must 
keep fresh and strong, and this strength 
he gains in his private studies and devo- 
tions. He is doing an injury to himself, 
as well as to his people, if he spends the 
time, necessary for study and pulpit prep- 
aration, in visiting — and thus feed his 
people on husks. He will be a "back 
number" before he has reached the period 



THE PASTOR'S VISITING. 119 

at which he should be most useful. He 
will reach the "dead line" in early life. 

No, my dear readers, do not expect 
your minister to do with his feet what 
should be done with his head. You come 
to the Divine services to be fed on spirit- 
ual food, to be instructed in the way of 
godliness, to be inspired with holy zeal, 
and it is his duty to prepare himself to do 
it, 

"A house-going pastor makes a church- 
going people" may be true in some parts 
of our church, but my experience and ob- 
servations have failed to convince me of 
the fact. 

My experience has been, that the peo- 
ple who complain most because the pastor 
does not visit them enough are the ones 
who are the most irregular and indifferent, 
and I have also learned that those who do 
not attend services nor take an active 
part in church work, unless the pastor 



120 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

visits them often, do not amount to much 
even if be does visit them frequently. 
Some people expect the impossible from 
their pastor. They are selfish with him. 
They want him all to self. But a man 
has a large and widely-scattered field of 
three or four congregations over a radius 
of ten or more miles, and he must drive 
many miles before he reaches his members 
in the outlying limits. In such a field it is 
almost the next thing to impossible to 
visit the whole charge, as frequently as 
some seem to desire, and at the same 
time attend faithfully to all the other 
duties of the pastorate — with man there 
are impossible things. 

True, I would not wholly set aside pas- 
toral visitation. It has its place and I aim 
as near as possible to fulfil that part of 
my ministerial labors, and where it is prac- 
ticable, as in the city or larger towns, 
where the membership is not so widely 



THE PASTOR'S VISITING. 121 

scattered as in a country charge, there 
more frequent visits are in place. There 
the minister has his mornings and even- 
ings to himself and can spend the after- 
noons in the homes of his members. 

Of course, the aged and infirm, and the 
sick, who in the providence of God cannot 
come to worship in the sanctuary, those 
deserve our special care and comfort, but, 
in my humble judgment, others who are 
younger and whom we see at their accus- 
tomed places, in the sanctuary, Sabbath 
after Sabbath, such do not need nor 
should they demand our special time 
which should be employed in other chan- 
nels. 

Then, my dear reader, I beg you, be con- 
siderate, in this as in all other things, 
knowing that, if your minister does not 
come to see you as often as you would 
like to have him, he thinks you do not 
need his special attention. He looks after 



122 



THE CHURCH MEMBER. 



the most needy and wayward and you can 
feel yourself complimented to think that 
you need no special attention. "They 
that are whole have no need of the physi- 
cian." 

Eemember, the minister is interested, 
in the welfare of his flock, as no other 
man can be. He delights to see you pros- 
perous and happy, and he wishes you well, 
in all that is honorable and legitimate, 
and when sorrow or sickness comes into 
your home, and you desire his presence 
and comfort, if you send for him he will only 
too gladly respond; Remember this; be- 
cause, ofttimes, there has been sickness or 
sorrow in one of our homes for weeks be- 
fore we knew it and they wondered why 
we did not come to see and comfort them. 
Some people are very irregular at the 
Lord's Day services and, when they are 
absent, it is no unusual thing and, hence, 
their absence does not solicit inquiries 
concerning their welfare, and it has been 



THE PASTOR'S VISITING. 123 

my experience, that such are the most 
easily offended, if the minister fails to 
visit them when they are ill. 

But, my friends, if you consider a little 
you will realize that the minister has a 
multitude of subjects claiming his 
thoughts and attention and he may not 
know of your illness. He cannot know 
all the time how all his members are, — 
He is not omniscient. 

Do, then, be as considerate with your 
pastor as you are with your family physi- 
cian. When you want the physician's 
service you send for him. Do likewise with 
your pastor and he will respond as 
quickly as can be done. 



CHAPTER IX. 



THE OLD MTSnSTBK AXD HOW HE SHOULD 
BE TREATED. 

My dear reader, are you a member of a 
congregation or charge which has had the 
services of a good, faithful minister for 
many long years? 

Perhaps he came, to you, young and 
fresh from the "School of the Prophets" 
with the fire and .zeal which goes with 
youth and young manhood. 

His aims and hopes were high and holy. 
His "air castles" were grand and impos- 
ing. He came into your midst and 
launched upon an untried sea. Your 
fathers and mothers, long since gone to 
their rich reward, received him with a 
hearty welcome, — this was in the long 



THE OLD MINISTER. 125 

ago — and the work of the charge, or 
parish, at once assumed a different aspect. 
The little church soon proved inadequate 
to accommodate the large audiences that 
came out to hear him ; some of the more 
sinister minded then said : "A new 
broom sweeps clean," and many came 
out of sheer curiosity and after a time 
again fell back to their old ways ; coming 
but once or twice a year in order to let 
the minister and people know that they 
"are still holding to the church." 

But, your minister keeps on truly and 
faithfully and the Christian fathers and 
mothers of Israel — God bless them — re- 
main faithful by his side. They come out 
through heat and cold, through rain and 
sunshine. They receive from his minis- 
trations, comfort, inspiration, and edifica- 
tion. 

He is a man above the average in abil- 
ity ; sincere and earnest and full of zeal 
for God's cause. 



126 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

The members soon realize his worth 
and, like the people of Ephesus, "would 
pluck out their eyes" for him. 

He may receive a call, or an invitation 
to come and locate in some other "field," 
more promising than theirs, but, with 
tears and pleadings, they entreat him not 
to leave them. "You shall never leave 
us," they say, "until death doth take 
thee." 

He remains, serving a large and widely- 
scattered charge, on a small salary by 
which he can barely make ends meet — ex- 
cept by the strictest economy — he must 
sacrifice, but for their sakes he is willing 
to do so because the fathers and mothers 
love and appreciate him and his work, but 
he is not able to lay anything aside for 
old age. 

The days and years come and go, the 
fathers and mothers fall asleep and are 
now lying in the village churchyard, en- 



THE OLD MINISTER. 127 

joying their well-earned rest in the heav- 
enly home. Tour faithful minister has 
laid them, tenderly, to rest, and the green 
grass "grows in heaped turfs" over their 
sleeping places. He gave you comfort 
and consolation out of the rich promises 
in God's Word. He told you of the glori- 
ous hope and the happy home in store for 
those who live and die in the Lord. 

You become attached to him as a spir- 
itual father. He lays his hands upon your 
head and asks God's blessing to rest upon 
vou. He dedicates your children, for 
you, in baptism to the Triune God. He 
becomes, in fact, so closely identified with 
your congregation as a father over all. 

Age and sad, as well as joyous, experi- 
ences have matured his judgment, ripened 
his scholarship, and made his heart tender 
and easily touched. He has truly grown 
old "in the harness." The fathers and 
mothers who stood by his side and 



128 THE CHURCH MEMBER, 

strengthened him, when young, are no 
more : they are sleeping in Machpelah's 
burying 1 ground. 

He. too. is nearing life's sunset. He 
realizes that the infirmities of age are 
telling on him, He has given you the 
best days of his life. His step is not so 
firm as it once was. His sermons may 
not be so full of "holy fire" as they were, 
in days gone by, bat they are fuller of the 
love of Jesus, fuller of heaven, you may 
rest assured. 

Some one intimates that "our pastor is 
getting too old to serve us acceptably," 
Another says : "He is getting to be a 
'back number* and we should get rid of 
him and secure the service of a younger 
man who can reacli the younger dement' 5 
— these are chords of dissension, these are 
pebbles that disturb the calm waters, these 
are apples of discord and. the young, 
who never thought anything else than 



THE OLD MIXISTEK. 129 

that be was the best roan living, will be- 
gin to find fault, and your people can pre- 
pare for the revolution that is sure to 
come. 

What is to be done? He is now old. 
He has given his whole life, or the best 
part of it, to your church. He has been 
with you in joy and sorrow, in the day of 
prosperity and in the night of adversity. 
He is old now and, unless he has children 
to whom he can go and with whom he 
mav make his home, he will not know 
what to do and the heart strings almost 
break. 

In all other professions you wish the 
service of a man of experience. When 
you have dangerous illness in your familv 
you want a physician who has had long 
experience and who has proved himself 
capable. You do not wish to risk your 
life to a novice. When you have an im- 
portant case before the courts of justice 



130 



THE CHURCH MEMBER. 



you want an experienced attorney to look 
after your interests. In the schools you 
wish a teacher, for an important position, 
who has had experience, but, in the min- 
istry, in our day. for some cause or other, 
age, experience, and ripe scholarship do 
not count much ; the only qualification is : 
<; He must be a young ruan" — this seems to 
be a travesty on the judgment of the 
church people. 

But we need not argue that feature anv 
further. It is a foregone conclusion; you 
have decided that you must have a Young 
man and that settles the whole matter 
once for all. The next question that nat- 
urally presents itself is : What is to be 
done with the old minister ? He is too 
old for you. Maybe some small, strug- 
gling charge could use him'? and perhaps 
not. Do you mean to turn him out in the 
cold world near the evening of life ? 

You know he is old and he has been at 



THE OLD MINISTER. 131 

an expense of which few outside of the min- 
istry know. He may have, by strict econ- 
omy and a great deal of self-denial, man- 
aged to save a little for the declining days, 
but in many cases he has not sufficient to 
give him a comfortable income for the re- 
mainder of his life. What shall he do? 
He is ashamed to beg. He is too honest 
to steal. He is too old to do manual 
labor. He cannot well do anything else 
for he prepared himself for the ministry 
and did not keep up with the other profes- 
sions. Must he do day's work as I know 
of one who. when too old to preach, must 
do in order to get his bread and butter ? 

The sad fact too often is : unless he has 
children with whom he can spend the re- 
mainder of his days and there think oyer 
the good days that are past, he might be 
obliged to knock at the poor house for 
entrance. 

It is shameful, in the highest degree, 



123 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

not to say sinful to turn out, into the 
cold world, an old, faithful pastor who 
was dearly beloved by your fathers and 
mothers in days gone by. 

Oh ! honor him, respect him, and keep 
him to the close of his life, for the good 
he has done. If he is too old and feeble to 
assume the active duties of your congre- 
gation, then elect another and a younger 
man to assume the duties of the charge, 
but let the old father be "pastor emeritus" 
with a small salary so that he may still 
worship with you and thus spend the re- 
mainder of his days with the people he 
loved so long and well. You will never 
miss the extra salary it will take, and you 
will feel so much better when you your- 
selves will come to the "Indian summer of 
life." Yes. Make his last days as peace- 
ful, as comfortable, as quiet, and as happy 
as possible. 

Ian McOlaren had an article on "Should 



THE OLD MINISTER. . 133 

the Old Clergyman Be .Shot'?'' in the 
Christmas number of the Ladies' Home 
Journal, 1899. and after discussing' the 
situation, from the standpoint of a lay 
member, finally comes to the conclusion 
that the best way to get rid of the worn- 
out old minister was to shoot him. 

This in some respects would be an 
easier death than many meet, for the man- 
ner, I have noticed, in which one or two 
congregations treated an old, faithful ser- 
vant it meant death from a broken heart, 
which was slower and more painful than 
by shooting. 

I sometimes wonder when some people 
reach that u happy land" for which they 
pray, and find the old minister inside, if 
they would not be ashamed to enter. 

Oh ! be kind to him for what he has 
done. Cast him not off in the time of old 
age and forsake him not when his strength 
faileth, and when you meet hin* in that 



134 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

heavenly hbme it will be a day of joy arid 
gladness. 

"Gone ! — have ye all then gone— 

The good,; the beautiful, the kind, the dear ? 
Passed to your glorious rest so swiftly on, 

And left ine weeping here?" 



CHAPTEE X. 

THE NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF 
CHURCH OFFICERS. 

It goes without saying: That the 
Church is a Divine-human organization. 
An organization must have laws and reg- 
ulations, and as we must have officers, to 
see that the laws are executed, and who 
have in their hands the management of 
her affairs, so are there times when nomi- 
nations and elections are necessary to 
select them. 

The Church must have her officers who 
constitute a body, in whose hands are the 
spiritual and temporal management of the 
Church, and whether you call this body a 
Consistory, a Church council, a vestry, or 
by whatever name, it is the privilege and 



136 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

duty of the members to elect— say by 
voice or vote who shall have in their 
hands the affairs of the church, for a 
given time, at least, 

There is here as in other things diver- 
sity of opinions, as to how the candi- 
dates for office are to be named or nomi- 
nated. In some places the consistory or 
church council names one ticket and the 
congregation names another and then the 
two named tickets are placed before the 
congregation and the members vote their 
preference. 

Another, and, we think, a better, and 
wiser method of making nominations, is 
to let the consistory name twice the num- 
ber of officers to be elected and then sub- 
mit tbem to the congregation to be voted 
upon. Our reason for preferring the 
latter mode can be expressed in a few 
words. It is this : The consistory or 
council can discuss the relative merits of 



CHURCH OFFICERS. 



137 



the available members for the sacred of- 
fice as cannot be done in the presence of 
the congregation. It is a great honor to 
bear office in the Lord's house ; so also 
does it bring grave and sacred duties and 
responsibilities, to each one, which should 
not be considered lightly. 

A man may have business ability and 
tact but may lack the moral qualifica- 
tions. While another may have the 
moral sincerity and enthusiasm for the 
Lord's cause but lack ability and judg- 
ment in other respects, while all these 
combined, as near as possible, is what the 
Church needs in her officers. 

Ofttimes a mistake is made, in the se- 
lection of officers, by nominating some 
general favorite who is a whole-souled, 
hail-fellow-well-met, because among a 
certain set he may be a popular idol, 
while otherwise he may not possess the 
first principles necessary for a cup bearer 
in the Lord's house. 



138 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

Sometimes, too, we have known a man 
to be nominated and elected to the 
sacred and responsible office "for a joke," 
just as if the church and the Lord's cause 
were to be conducted for the sport and 
amusement of the members. This is 
wrong, in the highest degree, not to say 
sinful, and the crippled and sad condition 
of some churches' managment are the 
fruits of this pernicious policy. 

Then, again, there is another fallacy in 
nominating and electing a man to the 
sacred office, in order to get him inter- 
ested in the work of the Church. 

One of my good old teachers often told 
us: "Gentlemen, never have a man put 
in as an officer, who does not take an in- 
terest in the Church, in order to get him 
interested, for, if he is not interested be- 
fore, be assured, he will not become inter- 
ested, when an officer, and you and the 
Church must suffer for the experiment." 



CHURCH OFFICERS. 139 

I have learned the truth, of his admoni- 
tion, to my sorrow, in my brief ministry. 

The fact is, my friends, if a man is not 
full of the love of God and His cause be- 
fore he is an officer, in the Church, it is a 
very dangerous experiment to elect him 
to that sacred and responsible position 
with the idea in view of getting him in- 
terested. A man who is so full of the 
world that he wears himself out, during 
the six laboring days, in accumulating 
this world's goods, so that on the quiet 
Sabbath morning he mmt rest and thus 
cannot get ready for services or that he is 
so busy with his own affairs that he has 
no time during the week for a> consistory 
or council meeting, such a man is not the 
kind that the Church of Jesus Christ 
wants at the head of her ministrations ; 
we want men, and we must and can have 
them, who have the love of the Church, 
at heart, enough to be able to give her 



140 THE' CHURCH MEMBER. 

some time and consideration. We want 
men, as officers, who are not afraid they 
arc doing too much for the Church, men 
who will stand by the eternal principles 
of right i men who are sober, honest, dill- 
gent and upright; men who give their life 
and influence to nothing that would bring 
dishonor upon the religion of Jesus 
Christ; men who are burning with the 
love of Christ and His cause — for it is a 
self-evident fact, that, in order to succeed 
in anything, a man must be in love with 
his task, and, at the same time, be con- 
scious of the sense of responsibility which 
is resting upon him. We want conscien- 
tious men, men who are conscious of the 
fact, that every honoiy every privilege, 
every blessing, and every opportunity 
they have brings, to them, grave responsi- 
bilities and sacred duties which they dare 
not neglect. 

The Church oflicers are the minister's 



CHURCH OFFICERS. 141 

cabinet — bis advisers and helpers — they 
are to be, "unto him. hands and eyes/' and 
remember this, my Mends, the honor and 
welfare of your Church, to a great extent, 
rests upon their shoulders. They repre- 
sent your Church, before the higher judi- 
catories and before the world, and you 
wish to be represented by the best, the 
noblest, and the most Christlike. 

But let us assume the nominations for 
officers are made and the day for election 
is near at hand, and, now, do not forget 
to pray to the Father, to guide and en- 
lighten you, so that you may put aside 
all personal preferences and cast your 
vote for the one. or ones, answering most 
nearly to the ideal officer, as God would 
like to have him be. Do not vote for a 
man, principally, that you may confer, 
upon him, the great honor, though he may 
be your best friend. Remember, the 
honor and welfare of the Church are at 



142 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

stake. But vote as you think will be the 
best for the good of the Church and the 
glory of God, and, especially, be it far 
from you to vote for an officer "merely 
for a joke ;" the Church of Jesus Christ 
is not a joke and she does not exist for 
the amusement of her members, but for 
the salvation of souls and you want of- 
ficers who love souls and are full of Chris- 
tian zeal. 

In a few words, pray right and then 
vote as you pray and your officers and 
your Church will be as God meant they 
should be. 

"Endow thern with a heavenly mind ; 

Supply their every need ; 
Make them in spirit meek, resigned, 

But bold in word and deed." 



CHAPTER XL 

CHRISTIAN CITIZENSHIP, OR SHOULD A 
CHRISTIAN TAKE AN ACTIVE 
INTEREST IN POLITICS ? 

Should the Christian take part in poli- 
tics? You ofttimes hear it said: "That 
religion and politics do not go together." 
Pray tell me why should they not ? If 
they do not they surely should, and once 
politics is conducted on the principle of 
the Golden Rule — as it should be — then 
religion and politics will go together ; and 
whose duty but the Christian citizen's is it 
to make it such ? 

We should take our religion with us to 
the polls and then vote as we pray. Are 
politics, in our day, too corrupt for a 
Christian man to take part in ? and, if so, 



144 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

what has made them such ? Does not 
the whole secret, of corrupt politics, lie in 
the fact that the spoilsmen are trying to 
run the machinery of our municipal, 
county, state and national government 
for policy's sake, and are content to sac- 
rifice the eternal principles of right and 
justice, using all means, whether honor- 
able or otherwise, to accomplish their end ? 

We hear the local politician echo, the 
cry of the "boss" — "Be loyal to the old 
standard," and too many voters go to the 
polls "like dumb driven cattle" and cast 
their ballot and influence at the beck and 
bidding of a few political leaders who 
make them believe the salvation of the 
country is at stake and depends on the 
success of their party. 

But "all men cannot be fooled all the 
time," and, in time they see their mis- 
takes, become disgusted and finally re- 
main entirely away from the polls, and 



CHRISTIAN CITIZENSHIP. 145 

the "boss" and his hangers on have thing's 
their own way, and matters assume a 
more forboding aspect than ever. It is 
simply going from bad to worse. There- 
fore, we say, the Christian citizen should 
vote. He should give his influence for 
the good of the government, under which 
he and his must live. His religious prin- 
ciples — the eternal principles of right — 
should be stronger than his love for party. 
He should vote for the man or men, irre- 
spective of party affiliations, who have 
character and moral stamina, whose "word 
is as good as his bond." Let character 
and attainments be the sole qualifications 
necessary for a candidate— for character 
is more than party. 

The more independent voters a district 
has the better and purer will be its laws 
and its officers. If the government of a 
people is oppressive and ruled by a few — 
a veritable oligarchy— it is because the 



146 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

people will it to be so, for, you can rest 
assured, once they rise, to a full sense of 
their duty, like one man with a single, 
noble aim in view, no power on earth can 
stay them. 

On the other hand, if the Christian citi- 
zens remain away from the polls and 
allow the grogshop politician to vote his 
hangerson, thus bringing about laws that 
are distasteful and oppressive, they have 
no right to complain. 

It is the duty of every law-abiding and 
liberty-loving citizen to vote at every 
election, and he should vote in accordance 
with his own convictions. The ballot 
thief, and all others, who make a business 
of politics, and thus want dishonest gov- 
ernment, which best serves their end, will 
be certain to vote not only once, but as 
often as they can. Those who are inter- 
ested in corrupt elections are certain to 
give their whole time and labor, in order 



CHRISTIAN CITIZENSHIP. 147 

that they may accomplish their end, and, 
surely every honest and well-meaning 
citizen should x)erform his duty, at the 
polls, and give his vote and influence in 
selecting the best candidate, for every 
office, regardless of party. 

The better class of citizens, interested 
as they should be, in the public welfare, 
are beginning to see the evils of too 
many of our political caucuses, and are, 
therefore, beginning to vote independent 
and we see the signs of better times send- 
ing their rays of light across the eastern 
mountain heights. 

There are festering sores on our body 
politic because the good citizens have, too 
long, stood aloof and permitted the "boss 
and spoilsman" to have his own way, and, 
once men vote as they pray, these social 
and political vices which are a menace to 
our free institutions and government will 
be delegated into the realms of oblivion. 



14S THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

But as long as Christian inen pray one 
way and vote another, so long will the 
evils of our government be here to op- 
press us. By all means. Christian breth- 
ren, pray right, but, then, do not forget to 
vote as you pray, and then, those evils 
which are now, like a canker worm, sap- 
ping the life from our nation will be 
crushed. 

These evils come by legislation and 
they must go as they came — by legisla- 
tion. 

The damnable drink traffic, which is 
one of the worst cancerous sores on our 
national life, undermining health, dwarf- 
ing ability, bringing hell and damuation 
to homes which otherwise could be happy 
and peaceful, is here because of legisla- 
tion—because the representatives whom 
we help to elect are too often bought to 
vote, for it. in our legislative halls. The 
gambling and lottery laws and the privi- 



CHRISTIAN CITIZENSHIP. 149 

leges which the great corporations and 
monopolies enjoy. The laws which fix 
the prices on everything you buy or 
sell, and which enrich the stockholders 
at the expense of the consumer — of whom 
you are one — and which is making the 
rich richer and the poor, at least, rela- 
tively poorer, all these and a host of other 
harmful and pernicious law 7 s, favoring a 
few at the expense of the many, are thrust 
upon us, and they mean, to every man, a 
larger outlay for the necessaries of life ; 
they mean, that you and your family, 
shall henceforth, receive fewer of the nec- 
essaries and luxuries of life, for the same 
amount of money, and they mean that 
you take less for that which you have to 
sell. 

The price is fixed on everything you 
buy or sell, and what will you do about 
it? These things can be remedied and 
the remedy lies in the pure and free use 



150 THE CHURCH ME >1 BE zl. 

of the ballot id the hands of the better 
people. The fact is. the politician who is 
in it for the spoils is ready and willing to 
promise anything and everything until 
after his election when he votes and gives 
his influence the way that brings in the 
most money for him. 

Let the Christian man vote for men of 
principle — men who do not make politics 
a business, no matter what his party con- 
victions may be. It is the chief business 
of the spoilsman to get himself and his 
associates maintained at the public ex- 
pense, and, according to his standard, the 
chief duty, of a public official, is to draw 
his salary regularly. 

No, my friends, we want, and we need, 
and we will have, if j on say so, an honest 
government, and this should call loudly 
upon every good citizen to come forth 
and say, by ballot, who shall handle the 
revenues paid by the tax-payers and who 



CHRISTIAN CITIZENSHIP. 



151 



shall make and enforce our laws. It is 
your privilege, will you use it ? 

Remember, your Christianity should 
show itself in all your various relations of 
life ; you, as a citizen, owe duties to your 
community and to your nation, and, it is 
your duty as well as privilege, to say who 
shall have in charge your munincipal, 
your county, your state and national gov- 
ernment. 

Eemember, you have not only a right 
and privilege but it is your duty to exer- 
cise your citizenship. Do this intelli- 
gently and conscientiously as God shall 
give you light, and your government will 
be purified, and in time will be clean, as 
it should be, and then you can take your 
religion into your politics and your poli- 
tics into your religion. 

''So live that when the mighty caravan, 
Which halts one night time in the vale of death, 

Shall strike its white tents for the morning march. 
Thou shalt mount upward to the eternal hills, 

Thy foot unwearied, and thy strength renewed, 
Like the strong eagle for the upward night." 



CHAPTER XII. 



MISSIONS AND WHY I BELIEVE IN THE3L 

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations," 
etc., was one of the last commandments, 
of our blessed Lord, to his disciples, and 
this, like all the other commands, should be 
obeyed by his disciples today. All his 
commands are just and reasonable, and, 
as we still rely upon his promises which 
are to us no less than to our children, so 
are his commandments also binding, and 
furthermore, on truly benevolent princi- 
ples we are constrained to bring the "glad 
tidings of peace and good will" to those 
who sit in darkness and are waiting for 
the light. 

The principle of Christianity is the di- 
rect opposite of selfishness and exclu- 



MISSIONS. 158 

siveness. One of the great fundamental 
doctrines which Jesus taught, by word 
and precept, was the "Brotherhood of the 
race." With Him there was " neither Jew 
nor Greek, neither bond nor free" but 
Christ was all and in all. 

In the parable of "The Good Samari- 
tan" He taught us to help the needy no 
matter to what race, color or nationality 
they belonged. We are to extend the 
hand of help to raise the fallen, to cheer 
the faint, to give them a higher and 
nobler view of life, and a hope for the life 
to come. 

In the Sermon upon the Mount, His in- 
troductory sermon, He emphasizes the 
same principle : " As ye would that men 
should do to you do ye even so to them 
likewise." Put the "Golden Eule" into 
practice and place yourself in the posi- 
tion of the heathen. Imagine yourself, in 
their sad condition, sitting in darkness 



154 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

and waiting for the light of the Gospel of 
Christ which would bring the manifold 
blessings which go with the religion of 
Jesus Christ. 

Study the sad condition of those whom 
God has made for true nobleness, and see, 
if you would not desire others to help 
you, if you were as they are. 

There are so many who do not seem to 
appreciate that the blessings, which the 
Gospel of Christ have brought them, have 
also brought duties and responsibilities 
which they owe to their fellowmen in 
other lands. 

We are liviug in a laud of light and 
liberty, today, because: We have the 
open Bible, and the hallowed influence of 
frhe quiet Sabbath day; and, the fires of 
incense and prayers are rising from ten 
thousand family altars at the beginning 
and close of every day. 

We are a Christian land and nation be- 



MISSIONS. 155 

cause : Our forefathers, from across the 
sea, sent missionaries among us, at a time 
when we were near to becoming a nation 
of infidels. 

There are none of the original churches 
in America but which received their first 
ministers, and the means to support them, 
from the fatherlands beyond the broad 
Atlantic. Michael Schlatter, the pioneer 
of our beloved Zion, after viewing the 
situation of the spiritual condition of the 
people scattered through the wilds of 
Southern Pennsylvania, Maryland and 
Virginia and seeing their need for the 
Gospel of Christ, returned to his native 
land and made known their wants, and, 
history tells us, how liberally they re- 
sponded. On his return he brought, with 
him, £12,000 and six noble young 
men consecrated to the Gospel ministry, 
and those Christian fathers and mothers, 
who were waiting on this side for shep- 



156 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

herds to feed them the "bread of life," 
"thanked God and took courage." 

Do you say, then, we owe nothing to 
missions? Did others ignore our cry for 
help? Did they turn a deaf ear to the 
"Macedonian call" coming from the wilds 
of America? History answers: No! 
And, now,, shall we who live in the light 
of that Gospel, shall we, who are reaping 
and enjoying the fruits of that sowing, be 
content to enjoy those blessings while 
others call* to us, for help ? 

Oh, Christian people, remember, this 
privilege places upon us a sacred respon- 
sibility and a most solemn duty which we 
cannot ignore. 

Then, again, think of it, my friends; had 
St. Paul directed his missionary opera- 
tions toward the East, instead of bearing 
the banner of the Cross into the wilds of 
Europe, then China and Japan might 
have become Christianized, and instead of 



MISSIONS. 157 

we sending missionaries to them, they 
would needs bring the Gospel to us. 

Under the providence of God we know 
that where there is life there must be ac- 
tivity. When a fountain ceases to flow it 
becomes a stagnant pool which breeds 
deadly diseases. To live it must pour 
forth, and so with the Church of Christ, 
she exists for something, and that church 
which does not send forth the light of the 
Gospel to other benighted lands. That 
church or that member who is not inter- 
ested in missions — in the welfare of his 
fellowmen in need — has not yet learned 
the first principles of Christianity. 

The congregation that withholds the 
Gospel from others will soon lose it her- 
self. u He who is poor in charity is poor 
indeed." The question which comes home 
to each one of us is not : Will the 
heathen be saved without my help? but, 
will I be saved if I am unfaithful to my 



158 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

trust, and ignore the commands of my 
Lord and Master, whom I profess to fol- 
low? 

That oft-mooted and threadbare argu- 
ment (I question seriously if it can claim 
the title of argument) which we ofttimes 
hear expressed, when an appeal is made 
for missions : "I do not believe in mis- 
. sions. I do not believe in sending money 
away to the heathens. We have heathens 
at home to convert. Let us convert them 
first, and then begin with those in other 
lands," is born either of ignorance, or is a 
cowardly excuse for stinginess, or selfish- 
ness, or all combined, and, in my mind, at 
least, is the expression of one who by his 
very words is a self-confessed heathen. For, 
pray tell me, what else than a heathen 
may we call a man who does not believe 
in the promises and commandments of 
God's word ? He does not believe in 
missions? Then let him tell us what part 



MISSIONS. 159 

of the Bible does he believe ? Has he a 
mutilated Bible from which all passages, 
relating to missions, are expurgated ? If 
so, then he has a Bible without God, a 
Bible without Jesus, a Bible without the 
Apostles, a Bible without the sermon on 
the Mount, a Bible without the Ten Com- 
mandments, a Bible without the Lord's 
Prayer, in fact, a Bible which is no Bible 
at all — the play Hamlet without a Ham- 
let — for the central thought, the underly- 
ing principle, from Genesis to Bevela- 
tion teaches us love to God through love 
to man. 

My friends ! if you do not believe in 
missions it is necessary for you to read 
God 5 s word more diligently, it is neces- 
sary for you to pray more earnestly that 
God may enlighten your minds and that 
He may sanctify your affections. You 
must needs be emptied of self and tilled 
with love to God and fellowman and, 



160 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

then, your heart will go out in a practical 
and substantial manner to those poor, be- 
nighted of our fellowmen sitting in dark- 
ness and waiting for the Gospel light. 
Then you will thank God that you are 
living in a missionary age and can have 
a part and privilege in the evangelization 
of the world. 

Bemember, "the heathens at home," of 
whom you speak, all have had the oppor- 
tunity of the Gospel, lo these many yenrs, 
but they have wilfully hardened their 
hearts and turned away from the light. 
We have done our duty with them, and if 
they perish, in their sins, their blood rests 
upon their own heads. 

But the Macedonian call comes, to us, 
from lands beyond the seas, and it is ours 
to respond. For those, who deny Christi- 
anity to others, cannot retain it long 
themselves. "Charity begins at home" 
but if it ends there it is a poor charity in- 



MISSIONS. 161 

deed. The chief concern of the Christian 
is not his own salvation but the salvation 
of others. He saves his own soul by 
helping to save others. The religion of 
Jesus Christ is not egotistic but altruistic, 
and the Church that lives only for self 
will soon not live at all. We are not to 
be concerned principally about the sav- 
ing of our own souls but in that of others 
and thus, by saving others only can we 
save ourselves. 

Jesus asks for self denial ; He asks for 
that love which prompts us to sacrifice 
for the good of others. Some people's 
idea of charity is ; giving away what they 
do not want themselves, but the most ac- 
ceptable gifts are those which cost us 
something. 

The love, of Jesus, for fallen and sinful 
mankind caused him to sacrifice "the 
glory which He had with the Father" and 
coming as man among us men, the Sin- 



162 THE CHL'RCH MEMBER. 

less One bearing the sins of the whole 
world. 

While we, too often, when the Church 
makes an appeal, say : "Nl see if I can 
spare it/' which means: "I'll see if I 
have any money left after I have gratified 
ail my own desires, after I have every- 
thing just as I want it. after I have all 
the necessaries and luxuries, then if I 
have anything to spare Fll give it to the 
Lord's cause." 

Too many are like the Pharisee who 
thank God that they are not like the 
heathen, but forget that their privileges 
and opportunities bear with them grave re- 
sponsibilities. 

How much are you to give ? This ques- 
tion you can best answer for yourself. 
Ask, what would Jesus give, if he were 
situated in life as you are ? 

Give as the Lord has prospered you. 
Give that which requires sacrifice and you 



MISSIONS. 163 

will give according to the Bible standard. 

The widow gave her mite which was all 
that she had. Here you are stewards. 
Give to the Lord what belongs to Him. 
Be faithful to your Lord's commands and 
you will be faithful to yourself. 

Oh 5 I pray you, do not ignore Christ's 
commandments else you are worse than a 
heathen ; you have the Gospel light, "walk 
as children of light." "Cast your bread 
upon the waters and it will return again." 

"Can we. whose souls are lighted 

With wisdom from on high, 
Can we to men benighted 

The lamp of life deny ?" 



CHAPTER XIII. 

THE CHURCH MEMBER'S WEDDING DAY, 

This is a sacred, a solemn step which 
no one should take lightly. The solemn 
words, which are to bind two hearts and 
two bands together forever, and which 
will change the currents of your lives, 
can be spoken in a moment, but a life- 
time is required to fulfil them, and the 
neglect of this duty will cast its shadow 
upon eternity. 

The wedding day marks the beginnings 
of a new career which, in God's provi- 
dence, is intended to make you wiser,, 
better, and more useful in the world, and, 
if the yows are faithfully kept by both 
parties, you will grow to understand and 
appreciate one another more highly as 



THE WEDDING. 165 

the years come and go, so that when 
death, at last, breaks the link that binds 
you, it will find the two hands more 
fondly clasped and the two hearts more 
closely joined than on the day that you 
plighted your troths "before God and 
man." 

The permanent union of one man with 
one woman establishes a relation of af- 
fections and interests which can, in no 
other way, be made to exist between two 
human beings, and it calls forth tendencies 
and capacities and powers for good which 
were not even known before. 

My aim, in this article, is not to give 
Scriptural proofs of God's sanction and 
commands to enter the holy state of mat- 
rimony, nor do T wish to philosophize on 
the congeniality of spirits necessary to a 
happy union of two souls — all which are 
of the greatest importance. But I pro- 
pose to deal with the simple fact of mar- 



166 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

riage. It is one of those things which 
comes about somehow and some way that 
baffles explanation. But, let us assume, 
the days of wooing are drawing to a 
close. The engagement is announced and 
the wedding is to follow, as a matter of 
course. 

The next question comes : "Where 
shall we plight our troth V This depends 
on individual choice. Some prefer the 
church, within her walls consecrated and 
made hallowed by sacred memories, be- 
fore her holy of holies, where they were 
baptized and confirmed — they think this 
preferable to any other place for taking 
the solemn vow. 

Others prefer the home, about which 
cluster so many fond and sacred memo- 
ries of by-gone days — the home which the 
bride is now about to leave — this she 
thinks the best place for her. 

Others, again, prefer a quiet wedding, 



THE WEDDING. 167 

and, for reasons best known to themselves, 
they visit the parsonage and there have 
the solemn words pronounced. 

Xext, who is the best fitted to pronounce 
the marriage ceremony, which is one of the 
sacred institutions of our holy religion? 
Surely, in my mind, not a justice of the 
peace, nor any other secular officer, can 
pronounce these solemn words, in a be- 
coming manner, with the brogue of the 
criminal court on his lips. This makes it 
a civil contract, and does away with that 
sacredness, which belongs to it, since the 
time of man's innocency, and, in some 
States, none but a regular ordained priest 
or minister of the Gospel is permitted to 
perform the marriage ceremony — this is 
as it should be everywhere. 

You are a member of the church of 
Jesus Christ, and you believe marriage to 
be a sacred institution of the church, do 
not, therefore, demean it by having some 



168 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

secular officer to go through the ceremony 
in a haphazzard and perfunctory manner. 
You desire no "mock marriage." You 
want ''God and His holy angels to witness 
it," and, therefore, you must have regards 
to the place as well as to the person who 
is to perform it, and none but a regular 
ordained minister, who has been conse- 
crated, is fitted to do so, and none so well 
as your own pastor. Here let me speak 
to you confidentially, remember, it always 
looks more respectful to have your min- 
ister with you at that time. When you 
have sorrow or a death, in your family, 
you desire him to be with you in the 
house of mourning, and now remember 
him also in the hour of joy. Do not take 
your wedding trip before you are married 
and have some strange clergyman "say 
the words." It always looks more re- 
spectable, in the eyes of the world, to 
take your trip after the wedding. But if 



THE WEDDING. 169 

circumstances and conditions are such 
that you must go away, kindly ask your 
minister to accompany you, for remem- 
ber, you are never justified in doing a 
wrong to your pastor, who is ever inter- 
ested in your welfare, and is willing to do 
anything honorable for you. 

He needs your encouragement, in this 
as in all other respects, and it will cause 
him anxiety. He will wonder what might 
be wrong that you prefer another to him 
on such an occasion. In short, always be 
honorable to your pastor and you will 
never have cause to regret it. 

What of the fee ? ah here is the rub ; 
this may have a smacking of the mercen- 
ary, but, we hope, the motive in speaking 
of this feature may not be misunderstood. 
We simply say : Let the fee be in keep- 
ing with other things. 

Do not insult the girl, whom you are 
taking from a good home and whom you 



170 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

value and admire above all others, by giv- 
ing a mean little pittance to the parson. 
Do not undervalue the ceremony when 
all else is done with an idea for "show." 

There are some ladies who. I have no 
doubt, would blush if they knew the in- 
significant fees paid at their marriage. 

There are some people who save neither 
effort nor money where they can ''make 
a display," but, where the public does not 
see, they are mean stingy. 

I have witnessed several "swell wed- 
dings' 3 where the elite of the city were 
in high places, where broad cloth dress 
suits and silks were in evidence, where a 
sumptuous feast was served, where 
colored waiters catered to the taste of 
the guests : where presents aggregating 
an outlay of hundreds of dollars were to 
be seen in a brilliantly-lighted room ; and 
where a wedding tour was contemplated, 
and taken, to all the principal cities, 



THE WEDDING. 171 

meaning no less than a hundred or more. 
But alas! the parson's fee! It was a 
mere pittance, in fact so small that it 
barely paid for the marriage certificate 
with the internal revenue stamp affixed 
as the law requires. 

I know my ministerial brethren will 
pardon me for divulging one of our 
secrets, but the fact is: most of us find it 
necessary to grade our certificates accord- 
ing to the fees. 

There are some people who think that 
a ministers supplies are furnished him 
gratis. How they have arrived at such a 
mistaken conclusion we know not, but 
our supplies cost us actual money, and 
we find it necessary to exercise the best 
of judgment otherwise some weddings are 
to us a financial loss. 

Yes, there are many, very many, who 
when they can make a display curtail no 
expense, but they must draw the line 



172 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

somewhere and the parson usually is out- 
side of that line. 

Are we wrong in judging the worth of 
a man by what he does in secret ? A 
man is known by the little things. We 
are waiting to see. Does he consider the 
ceremony of so small consequence or 
does he so little appreciate the services 
of his wife's minister that anything will 
do? This manifests a poor principle and 
and is an insult to the girl whom he mar- 
ried. 

''There are smiles and tears in that gathering band 
Where the heart is pledged with the trembling hand. 
What trying thoughts in the bosom swell. 
As the bride bids parents and home farewell ! 
Kneel down by the side of the tearful fair, 
And strengthen the perilous hour with prayer.' 



CHAPTER XIV. 



THE EVENING OF LIEE ; BE KIND TO THE 
OLD. 

There comes to me a mingled sense of 
sadness and reverence when I see an 
aged father or mother basking in the 
evening twilight of life. 

The long shadows falling toward the 
east indicate that their day has almost 
closed, and according to the laws of nature, 
they can be with us only a few more brief 
years at most. 

Their "Indian summer'' is nearly over 
and with its close they must bid the world 
"adieu." 

They are living mostly in the past. All 
their friends of "the days that are gone" 
are sleeping in the "silent city of the 



174 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

dead." They are left alone, like some 
solitary tree marking the place where 
once upon a time stood a dense forest. 
They have born the burden and heat of 
many a summer's sun. Their hairs have 
been frosted by the snows of many win- 
ters. Time has taken the elasticity out of 
their steps. The cares of years made the 
form, once erect, now bent. The totter- 
ing step, the wrinkled brow, the hoary 
heads, the bent body, the trembling hand, 
and the melancholy crack in the voice, all 
indicate the nearness of the end. These 
prophesy that the journey will soon be 
over. 

They live in the fond memories of the 
past. Their best days were in the long 
ago. But now they are strangers in the 
community where their whole life was 
spent. The eyes that once looked into 
theirs with the most tender affections 
have long since been closed by the hand 



THE EVENING OF LIFE. 175 

of death. The voices that responded to 
theirs like sweet music ; the voices that 
cheered and stirred their souls with the 
most tender affections, have been hushed 
these many years. The old familiar home- 
stead, and the scenes about it, with which 
were associated so many fond friends of 
by-gone days, has undergone changes 
under the ravages of time. Yea, all has 
changed since the days of their youth, 
and in the march of time they find them- 
selves strangers in the home of their 
childhood and youth. They are sad and 
lonely and with the Psalmist cry out : 
"Lover and friends thou hast put far from 
me." 

Yes, the old have outlived their day 
and generation. They cannot become 
reconciled to the new ways and ideas in 
life, and, thus, are not in sympathy with 
the way we do things, hence we naturally 
think them peculiar. Their language is 



1T6 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

often the antiquated brogue of the past 
generation ; and, thus, with all their sor- 
rows and longings they become, to an un- 
filial son or daughter, a burden. 

How sad it is ofttirnes to see an old 
father or mother, who spent a life of sac- 
rifice for their children, when old and 
feeble, to be shoved aside as an old, worn- 
out, and useless article of furniture. One 
such sad incident came under my observa- 
tion. It was that of an aged mother 
whom none of her children wished to be 
troubled with, and, be it said to their 
shame, all of them had of this world's 
goods an abundance. When she came 
she received as cold a reception as the 
actic explorer, and was soon given to un- 
derstand that they could put up with her 
only for a certain definite time, and well 
did the poor old soul understand what 
that meant. 

So long as she could help them to do 



THE EVENING OF LIFE. ITT 

drudgery, and bad some money of her 
own she was received with open arms and 
the best was scarcely good enough for 
mother, but, now, since she has given 
them her all, and is old and feeble and 
almost helpless, she is an unwelcome 
guest lest she may become a charge to 
them. With the Psalmist her soul 
breathes out the words : ''Cast me not 
off in the time of old age and forsake me 
not when my strength faileth." 

My dear readers, can you not remember 
her for the good she has done in days 
that are gone by? She it was who bore 
you and gave you being. She it was who 
cared for and watched over you during 
the helpless and trying times of infancy 
and childhood. Can you not now be a 
guardian angel of old age '? 

Oh ! be kind to the aged. If they do 
cost you some extra care and expense, re 
member, they will not be with you long 



178 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

anymore, for behold! the shadows are de- 
clining and they will soon leave you, and 
when you must stand beside the open 
grave you will never have cause to regret 
what good you have done for them. 

We have, indeed, a beautiful example 
of true filial affection and consideration 
in Joseph's conduct toward his aged 
father, Jacob. Though he is ruler of 
Egypt, yet he is ever mindful of his aged 
father in far-away Canaan. He sends for 
him and his kindred and does all he can 
to make him happy and comfortable the 
remainder of his days, and, when he dies, 
Joseph takes his father back to Canaan 
and has him buried beside his beloved 
Eachael, as was his last request. Joseph, 
though he was ruler of Egypt, was not too 
busy to have his old father about, nor was 
he afraid lest he might embarrass him by 
his uncouth and rustic manners. 

Another beautiful incident was the con- 



THE EVENING OF LIFE. 179 

duct and consideration of Millard Fill- 
more, when President of these United 
States, toward his aged father. We see 
the elder Fillmore visiting his son, Millard, 
at Washington, and the care and consider- 
ation he showed his aged parent was an 
example of true filial affection. How he 
was introduced to all the great men ! 
How he spoke with the great Webster ! 
This was an evergreen spot in the old 
man's memory, which he could never for- 
get. 

This stands out in sharp contrast with 
the incident, which suggested to Will 
Carlton the subject for his poem : 
"OVEK THE HILLS TO THE POOE- 
HOUSE I'VE WA^DEBED ALOXE 
THEEE TO DIE," when a rich and pros- 
perous son had turned his poor old 
mother out of his home, for the simple 
reason that it cost too much to keep her, 
and she having no home crossed the hills 



180 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

beyond which was located the poorliouse. 

Shame ! shame! on the wretch is the ver- 
dict of the whole world. The money, he 
thus saved, was "blood money." His 
wealth shall become moth-eaten. His 
riches are corruption. His love of wealth 
has dwarfed all his better and higher 
nature and thus robbed him of the first 
principles of manhood. 

But, thank God, this is a rare excep- 
tion, and with most sons and daughters 
that filial spirit is manifested, and the 
last days of the parents are made as 
peaceful and comfortable as possible. 
Both sacred and profane history is rich 
and full of the noble deeds of sons and 
daughters in their conduct toward their 
aged parents, and they never had cause 
to regret it. 

Would that all children were as kind 
and considerate to their aged parents as 
was Joseph and Millard Fillmore. Then 



THE EVENING OF LIFE. 181 

we would see fewer lonely old ages and 
more happiness in the evening of life. 

Oh, think of it, friends, many of our 
parents are near the sunset of life. Many 
of them have visited us for the last time. 
Their days are growing few and soon they, 
too, will sleep in the village graveyard 
with our ancestors. 

The care and attention we bestow upon 
them will only make us better and nobler, 
and, when they are no more, the sense of 
having done our duty with them will 
come back as so many drops in our cup 
of joy, and, think of it ! What a happy 
day that will be when we shall meet them 
in that heavenly home. 

Let not the cares of this world engross 
you so much as to make you too busy to 
care for them at a time when fhey need 
your special care and attention the most. 
Consider nothing too good nor too ex- 
pensive for their comfort and conveni- 
ence. 



182 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

They will not be here in any more days, 
for behold ! the shadows are declining, 
the sun is fast sinking behind the western 
hills, and the night is setting in and soon 
we shall see them "no more for awhile." 
It is then we feel the force of the words 
of the poet i — 

k 'Farewell ! I did not know thy worth ; 

But thou art gone and now 'tis prized, 
So angels walk unknown on earth, 

But when they flew were recognized." 



CHAPTER XV. 



THE CHRISTIAN FUNERAL. 

America's favorite poet has beautifully 
said : 

"There is no flock, however watched and tended, 

But one dead lamb is there ! 
There is no fireside, howso'er defended, 

But has one vacant chair!" 

There is no truth more frequently 
brought to our notice than, "man is mortal 
and in time must pass away." It is, al- 
ways, a sad time, when the tender ties of 
love and friendship are broken in this 
way, and when we see the remains of our 
loved ones laid to rest in the silent city 
where soon the grass will grow green in 
"heaped turfs." 

We all need the help and encourage- 



184 



THE CHURCH MEMBER. 



nient, the friendship and love of dear 
ones, and we are poorer for every friend 
we lose. Yes, we miss them sorely. 
When they are gone we feel an aching 
void, a loneliness which baffles descrip- 
tion. 

No wonder the tears — those silent tell- 
tales of deep sorrow — flow unbidden. 
Under such circumstances our sorrows 
are too great to be expressed by words, 
and then the only language is tears. 
During those sad visitations of Provi- 
dence there is nothing like the comfort- 
ing assurance, revealed to us in God's 
word, of the blessed hope in store for the 
saints of light, when this weary life shall 
cease. 

Another one of our loved ones gone be- 
fore us, and now we, perhaps, for the first 
time look beyond the things of time and 
have an interest in the heavenly home — 
for we are always interested in a place 
where we have friends. 



THE CHRISTIAN FUNERAL. 



185- 



We now want the minister of the Gos- 
pel, if at no other time, to be in our home 
to pray for us, and to speak words of 
comfort as we sit under the shadow of the 
cloud. 

Naturally, after the first shock, result- 
ing from the loss of a dear one, has passed 
away, we must needs make arrangements 
to lay the body to rest. And now let me 
proffer a word of advice. See that every- 
thing is done "with decency and in order." 
Avoid empty show or vain displays of all 
kinds as much as can be done. That you 
desire your pastor's service, at the funeral 
of a member of the family, is a foregone 
conclusion. Therefore, remember that, 
though he is always willing to do all 
within the limits of justice, common 
sense, and physical possibility to give you 
all the comfort to be had, yet he has also 
a multitude of other grave duties claim- 
ing his attention, and, therefore, must 
needs plan ahead. 



186 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

Frequently he has other engagements 
which cannot be postponed without the 
greatest inconvenience and at times 
heavy loss. He is not only your pastor 
but has also pledged his service to the 
other members of the household of faith 
as well as to the needy outside of the fold 
of Israel. Then the wisest, the best, and 
the safest plan — as many of the more 
thoughtful members do — is to be con- 
siderate and respect your minister's 
rights. Go and consult with him as to 
the time, all things being favorable, it 
would be the most suitable to have the 
last sacred rites. You can name the time 
when you think it the best for all con- 
cerned, and, I assure you, he will do all 
that is reasonable to conform with your 
plans. But, if possible, avoid holding the 
funeral on the quiet Sabbath day— let it 
be as it siguifies a holy day of rest. On 
that day yo ir pastor, if he has more than 



THE CHRISTIAN FUNERAL. 187 

one congregation, as most pastors of our 
church have, has all he can well do, or 
4&lse he may be obliged to disappoint a 
congregation of worshippers who have a 
right to his service at that -time, or he 
must postpone either the Holy Commu- 
nion or some special service for which all 
preparations have been made $pmQ weeks 
ahead, or not be able to officiate at your 
loved one's funeral which has been my 
sad experience on several occasions when 
some good, faithful, aged member whom I 
loved and cherished must be laid to rest 
without my services, because he had to be 
buried on Sunday for no other reason than 
that the family desired a Sunday funeral 
for which there was no necessity what- 
ever. 

One special instance which I now have 
in mind was that of a young woman who 
had to be buried on Sunday, because some 
of her nearest kin could not spare the 
time to attend the day previous. 



188 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

True, it is, there are some instances, 
and they have come to our notice, when a 
Sunday funeral becomes a necessity — as 
when a young man in the full bloom of 
health lost his life by a railroad train on 
Saturday eve, and we must bury him so 
soon as the necessary arrangments can 
possibly be made— under such circum- 
stances, which are special, a Lord's Day 
funeral is justifiable. 

Our Synods, Classes, Consistories, in 
fact all ecclesiastical bodies, with a few 
exceptions, urge the sancity of the Sab- 
bath day to be observed as much as pos- 
sible and thus they advise the minister to 
do all they can to avoid Sunday funerals 
which make extra labor a necessity, and 
which also interfere more or less with the 
sacredness of the day. 

If all the ministers of all denominations 
would co-operate and educate their peo- 
ple against Sunday funerals they could 



THE CHRISTIAN" FUNERAL. 189 

be done away with entirely except in 
cases of absolute necessity. But we are 
sorry of the fact that some ministers are 
always catering to the populace, and 
thus, are ever ready to do their bidding. 

Instead of educating public sentiment 
to have a sacred regard for the Holy day 
they cater to their whims and fancies. 
They sacrifice principle for policy's sake. 
They wish to be popular. Desiring the 
good pleasure of men more than to do the 
will of God. These words grate harshly 
on our ears but they are cold facts, which 
no one will dispute, and not the theories 
of a day dreamer. 

But, I am glad to say, the most un- 
pleasant experiences in regard to funerals, 
for most ministers, are with those people 
who are outside of the Church — those who 
have nothing for the Church and nothing 
for the minister unless death invades the 
family circle — these think, they then have 



190 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

an exclusive right to the minister's service 
and he must leave all else and come do 
their bidding. They send for the under- 
taker and pass by the minister's house. 
They make all arrangements for the fun- 
eral, and, in a day or so later, send word 
to the minister that they want him to of- 
ficiate at the funeral on Sunday morning. 
They are very thoughtful and ofttimes 
send a text which is anything but appro- 
priate, they manage to borrow a neighbor's 
hymn book so they can hand the minister 
the hymns — one of which invariably is : 
"Asleep in Jesus! blessed sleep," no 
matter what kind of a life the dead lived 
he now "steeps in Jesus" — and, if the min- 
ister finds it impracticable or impossible 
to comply with their requests, he usually 
incurs their enmity which is, as a rule, the 
most bitter and he is branded and anathe- 
matized forever. In short, they want the 
minister to preach comfort when there is 



THE CHRISTIAN FUNERAL. 191 

no comfort ; they want hiin to give hope 
where there is no hope. Yea, they ask 
him to do the impossible. 

They always manage to have some one 
tell him of the great virtues of the dead — 
of his kindness in the home, etc., etc., no 
matter what his life was like; now, since 
he is dead, we must remember only the 
good deeds and give him a passport to 
the heavenly home. And, when all done, 
they never appreciate the minister's ser- 
vice. If all were as they, then the Church 
of Christ could not exist and they and 
their dead would be buried as they lived 
— without Christian obsequies, 

But we are writing to those who are 
members of the church and they are usu- 
ally — though not always — thoughtful. The 
arrangements are now being made for 
the funeral, and let them be made in 
"decency and order" with reason and 
common sense prevailing. Prepare to 



192 THE CHURCH MEMBER. 

lay your dead to rest respectably but not 
extravagantly, nor beyond your means. 
I know of a certain family where the 
mother passed away, and they said : "It 
is the last we can do for her, we will give 
her a grand burial." They ordered a very 
expensive casket and buried her in the 
grandest, yea most extravagant style, but 
the undertaker is not paid to this day, and 
that is only half the story. 

Eemember, friends, it is always more 
honorable to have an inexpensive — a sim- 
ple, modest — funeral and feel that all 
bills are paid, than to have an elaborate 
— showy — affair with the bills never paid. 
You show more respect for the dead by 
honesty than by pomp. You will feel 
more respectable when you meet the un- 
dertaker, and you will be more at peace 
with your own conscience when you come 
to need burial. 

Again, I would say : Be prompt on the 



THE CHRISTIAN FUNERAL. 



193 



day and hour appointed for the last sacred 
rites. Set your time for the services at 
the house and begin when that hour ar- 
rives. All the friends can be there in 
time if they only think so. There is a 
wide margin for improvement along this 
line. Sometimes one man, and usually 
one who lives nearest, keeps the whole 
assemblage waiting (and their position is 
always a very tiresome one) because he 
would like to attend to something more 
before the funeral, and he knows they 
will wait for him because he is one of the 
friends. 

I knew of a man who, at the funeral of 
his brother, kept them waiting for more 
than one hour and a half while he was 
pottering about his premises. 

If a man's time and mind are so much 
taken up with worldly cares, it matters 
not much whether or no he will be pres- 
ent at his brother's funeral. He is too 
much for self and too full of world. 



194 TRE CHURCH MEMBER. 

Should you pay the minister for his 
services during the funeral of a member 
of the family ? We feel loath in express- 
ing our opinion on that question, but we 
say : That in some sections of the church 
no one would think of asking a minister's 
service for a funeral without expecting to 
give him something lor it, no more than 
he would ask him to perform a marriage 
ceremony gratis. They look upon it as 
involving extra effort and time on the 
part of the minister who, of all profes- 
sional men, is the most underpaid, consid- 
ering the time and effort and expense 
involved in preparing himself for his call- 
ing, and thus these people are educated 
to give something for his services, in that 
way showing their appreciation. 

In other sections many of them are in- 
clined to think that it is his duty to bury 
the dead, and this seems to be the pre- 
vailing opinion among outsiders. 



THE CHRISTIAN FUNERAL. 



195 



Others, again, think that the "outsiders " 
who never contribute a single farthing 
toward the support of the Gospel, should 
giye something for the minister's service, 
which requires extra time and effort. 

We reserve our opinion. Let each one 
ask : Is it j ust ? Is it right ? Is it Christ- 
ian ? and then do as you think best, or "as 
yon would be done by." 

"Farewell, conflicting hopes and fears. 
Where lights and shades alternate dwell ; 

How bright th' unchanging morn appears 
Farewell, inconstant world, farewell !" 



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